Athletes in next year’s Asian Games in Japan will stay on a “floating village” cruise ship and in converted shipping containers, an organizing official told AFP, defending the cost-cutting move.

The plan will see 4,600 athletes and officials housed on the ship for the duration of the Games, which are being held in Nagoya and the wider Aichi area from 19 September to 4 October 2026.

Organizers will lease a luxury cruise liner that will be docked at Nagoya’s port.

A further 2,400 people will stay in temporary shelters made from shipping containers a short bus ride away, with the two locations accommodating about half of the 15,000 athletes and officials expected at the Games.

The rest will be in other accommodation, including in Tokyo where the swimming competition will take place.

Local organizers were keen to avoid the cost of building a traditional athletes’ village, but Asian Olympic chiefs warned that any alternative must make sure athletes can meet and mingle together.

Kazuhiro Yagi, vice-secretary general of the Aichi-Nagoya Games organizing committee, told AFP that they had listened to athletes’ opinions and wanted to “provide a service that satisfies them.”

“The cruise ship and container houses are in different locations, but they are only about 10 minutes apart by shuttle bus,” he said.