Toshiaki Endo, who was appointed VP of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic organizing committee last week, paid a call to Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike and "sought cooperative relations with the metropolitan government in the lead-up to the sporting event," according to KYODO. Endo said, "It is important to have a situation in which the metropolitan government, which is the host city, and the organizing committee, which is responsible for the operations (of the Tokyo Games), work as the two wheels on an axle and the central government provides support. We must be on friendly terms or else things would not work." Koike responded that both parties have a "big responsibility of leading the games toward success" and added that she will be able to "work at ease" now that Endo has taken up an "important post" at the organizing committee. Their meeting came as the Tokyo metropolitan government "seeks to cut costs for hosting the 2020 Summer Games including by possibly changing some competition venues." A cost review panel appointed by Koike has "proposed other options for the planned venues for rowing/canoe sprint, swimming and volleyball, amid concerns of ballooning costs, including using existing facilities rather than building new ones" (KYODO, 11/17).
