Tokyo's National Stadium could get Olympic face-lift

2011/09/21 (From The Asahi Shimbun, partially edited)

In a possible boost for Tokyo's bid to host the 2020 Summer Olympics, the sports ministry is considering renovating Tokyo's National Stadium in Shinjuku Ward, which could be used as the main venue for the opening ceremony and track-and-field events.
Japanese Olympic Committee President Tsunekazu Takeda welcomed the news, saying, "The central government is giving this consideration in a positive direction."
National Stadium currently seats about 54,000 and has an eight-lane track. Large-scale international competitions such as the Olympics require a seating capacity of 80,000 and a track with nine lanes or more. The renovation plan would boost National Stadium's size to this level.