Cruise ship and container housing planned for athletes at Asian Games

On August 19, 2026 in Tokyo, organisers said athletes at the Asian Games, to be held in Nagoya and the wider Aichi area, will be housed in a variety of accommodations including a cruise liner. About 15,000 competitors and officials are expected to attend the event.

The Asian Games begin in Japan in a month’s time and organisers said the field will feature teenage prodigies and more athletes than the Olympics. They have said a cruise ship will house competitors in the middle of typhoon season and that they hope athletes will have a “unique experience” staying in accommodation ranging from a cruise liner and wooden containers to standard hotel rooms.

Kazuhiro Yagi, vice-secretary general of the Aichi-Nagoya Games organising committee, said “it feels like the Games are right around the corner.” He added: “The final stages of preparation are now upon us,” he said. “We will continue working as one right until the last moment and we hope that people from all over Asia, not just Japan, will enjoy the event.”

Organisers have opted for temporary athlete accommodation to cut costs and have hired the Italian cruise ship Costa Serena for the Games. Officials said they are confident the plan will not be disrupted by Japan’s typhoon season. A further 2,000 athletes and officials will stay in wooden shipping container-style huts in Nagoya’s Garden Pier area, while the remainder will be accommodated in hotels.

Eala will be among the most prominent athletes competing in Nagoya and will be looking to continue her rapid rise. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will also turn heads after announcing himself as a major new talent in world cricket; the teen star will be hoping to win gold for India at Japan’s newly built cricket ground. Swimmer Yu has made a name for herself with rapid progress in the pool, setting a new women’s 200m individual medley Asian record last year.

With the Asian Games returning to Japan for the first time since 1994, Yagi said the atmosphere was “gradually becoming palpable.” He reiterated the organising committee’s commitment to final preparations and to welcoming participants from across the continent.

The Asian Games are scheduled to run from September 19 to October 4 in Nagoya and the wider Aichi area.