Multi-sport event in Aichi and Nagoya, Japan
The 2026 Asian Games (2026年アジア競技大会), also known as 20th Asian Games (第20回アジア競技大会) and Aichi-Nagoya 2026 (愛知/名古屋2026), will be a multi-sport event celebrated around the Aichi Prefecture in Japan from 19 September to 4 October 2026. The prefecture capital Nagoya will be the epicenter of the events.[2] Nagoya will be the third Japanese city to host the Asian Games, after Tokyo in 1958 and Hiroshima in 1994. The event is set to return to its traditional 4-year cycle, after the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China were postponed to 2023 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) selected Aichi prefecture and Nagoya city to host the Games at their annual general assembly session in Danang, Vietnam, on September 25, 2016.[3] The bid was initially in threat of falling apart after a budget dispute between Aichi Prefecture and its capital Nagoya, but was resolved, allowing the bid to be accepted.[4] The OCA originally planned to choose the 2026 host city in 2018, but brought the planning date forward due to the intensity of the region's sporting calendar, including the next three Olympic Games between 2018 and 2022 (held in Pyeongchang, Tokyo and Beijing).[5]
Development and preparations
The city of Nagoya received an estimate of roughly ¥85 billion in costs from the Aichi Prefecture government for the event, 30% of which is expected to be covered by sponsorships and other revenue, while the remainder is planned to be split on a 70–30 basis between Nagoya and Aichi Prefecture.[4][7]
In addition to Nagoya, 16 other cities across Aichi Prefecture and main Japanese Metropolitan Regions will host Games events. This list includes 6 cities or yards in the Greater Tokyo Area that their venues also hosted events during the 2020 Summer Olympic Games. The plan is that Paloma Mizuho Stadium will host both the opening and closing ceremonies and athletics, Nippon Gaishi Hall is to be used for both gymnastics and aquatics, the Vantelin Dome Nagoya is to be used for baseball, and the Toyota Stadium is to be used as football main venue.[3]
The emblem of the Games was unveiled during a ceremony on 1 April 2020; Each colour has its own meaning with purple representing the iris laevigata, gold is for Shachihoko, the golden tiger-fish roof ornaments which are the symbol of Nagoya Castle, while the green represents environmental consciousness.[8]
The mascots of the Games, Honohon (Japanese: ホノホン) was unveiled on 14 July 2024.[9]
The official motto of the 2026 Asian Games, "Imagine One Asia" was announced on 1 April 2020 to mark six years before the opening ceremony.[1]
33 sports from the 2024 Summer Olympics (including surfing as a new sport) + 9 other sports.
Five regional sports that was nominated by each region of the Olympic Council of Asia:
Five sports that will be part of the 2020, 2024, and 2028 Summer Olympics programs:
Sport that entered due an agreement between AINAGOC (Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games Organizing Committee) and the OCA:
A final decision on inclusion of cricket is expected in 2025, with Asian Cricket Council having pushed for the bid and OCA President Randhir Singh "hopeful" for it.[11][12] Cricket was reintroduced to 2022 Asian Games at Hangzhou as well as the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.[13]
All 45 National Olympic Committees who are members of the Olympic Council of Asia are expected to send delegations, Australia and New Zealand Invitee a Asian Games.
