New Delhi, September 10: Hundreds of athletes and officials were briefly evacuated from their accommodation in Nagoya after torrential rain lashed the Japanese city ahead of the Asian Games, but the mayor said the weather would not disrupt the event.
The problem started after torrential rains hit the city on September 8, with Nagoya recording a massive 104.5 mm of rainfall in just an hour! It was the highest hourly total since rainfall records began in 1890. As a result, roads and homes flooded, and some bus and subway services were temporarily suspended.
An estimated 3,500 people were forced to take shelter at designated evacuation centres as authorities warned residents to remain alert amid rapidly rising water levels. The heavy downpour also
disrupted several Asian Games venues, with flooding reported inside some facilities and rainwater leaking through roofs. However, officials said there had been no reports of significant damage to the venues.
Will The Opening of the Asian Games 2026 Be Affected?
Currently, there has been no announcement of a postponement, cancellation or change to the Asian Games schedule owing to the floods.
Nagoya's Mayor Ichiro Hirosawa also said on September 9 that the situation is not that alarming to disrupt the Asian Games opening on September 19. Based on the information available, there was no reason to expect the Games to be delayed. "The situation is not severe enough to jeopardise the opening of the Games on the 19th," Nagoya Mayor Ichiro Hirosawa told reporters.
Had this been India before an international event, our media and social media would have blamed the government for the preparations.
- Deepak Negi (@AdvDeepakNegi) September 9, 2026
In Japan, when athletes are evacuated, people stand with their country. That difference says a lot.#Japan #AsianGames #AichiNagoya pic.twitter.com/m4l2F8D9c2
"We are not worried about the conditions of the venues, and we believe there is no problem holding the Asian Games as planned," he added.
He further said that authorities had not yet completed a full assessment of areas outside Nagoya city, meaning the broader impact across Aichi Prefecture was still being assessed.
With more than 17,000 athletes and officials expected to attend, the Games are already facing a significant logistical undertaking. The absence of a traditional athletes' village means participants will instead be housed across hotels, a cruise ship and temporary accommodation facilities, underscoring the scale and complexity of preparations as Nagoya gets set to host the event.
