Stadium Architect Plays Down Olympic Flame Mistake, Says Solution Being Sought

The architect of Tokyo's new National Stadium said that "his team is remedying the nation’s latest Olympic blunder: nowhere for the Olympic flame to burn," according to KYODO. Kengo Kuma said that "work is underway to find space for a cauldron that traditionally burns during the tournament, adding that it may be necessary to lift fire restrictions for the event." Kuma’s design "lacked provision for a cauldron because there was no mention of it in a government development plan in August." The IOC stipulates that "the cauldron should be ideally placed somewhere visible both from inside and outside the stadium." Kuma said, "The reviewing team is already working on it, and once the direction is there, I’ll deal with it accordingly" (KYODO, 3/10).