It has announced a new location for its International Broadcast Centre (IBC) and Main Press Centre (MPC) in the very heart of the city along with identifying new venues for selected indoor sports and the road cycling competition.

 

The changes, agreed after consultations with the relevant international governing bodies, are designed to increase the compactness, sustainability and efficiency of its plan.  

 

The IBC/MPC will be located in the Tokyo Big Sight, home of the iconic reverse-pyramid conference tower and located at the heart of the Japanese capital's centre.

 

The centre was already due to be the venue for fencing and taekwondo if Tokyo is awarded the Games in 2016.

 

It will now also host wrestling.

 

Tokyo 2016 initially considered the site of the Tsukiji Fish Market for the IBC/MPC, but have decided that the Tokyo Big Sight will provide greater convenience, access and space for media from across the world.

 

The decision followed a comprehensive analysis of the 2008 Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Games and consultation with Olympic and town planning experts, Tokyo officials said.

 

Shintaro Ishihara, the Governor of Tokyo and President of Tokyo 2016, said: "Choosing the Tokyo Big Sight to locate the IBC/MPC enhances our original Games plan.

 

"I visited the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games facilities and have closely examined London 2012's plan, and we recognise that a big venue with a lower floor is easier to access for media carrying heavy equipment.

 

"The Tokyo Big Sight is close to the action and easy to access.

 

"The location is currently almost one 100 per cent in use for events, so there is a guaranteed legacy after the Games."

 

London made similar changes during its bid to host the 2012 Olympics after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) advised them that a number of venues, most notably shooting at Bisley, needed to be brought closer to the centre of the city if they were to be successful.

 

Ichiro Kono, the chairman and chief executive of the Tokyo 2016 Bid Committee, said: "I am delighted to announce further enhancements to Tokyo's inspiring proposition for the Olympic Movement, and I can guarantee that much more is still to come.

 

"The newly situated IBC and MPC place tens of thousands of media closer to Olympic and Paralympic sport at the very heart of city life in Tokyo and ensures journey times to venues will be extremely short for their maximum convenience.

 

"As part of our efforts to deliver the best possible Candidature File for the Olympic Movement, I am also pleased to confirm selected new venue locations for selected indoor sports events and road cycling.

 

"This move makes our inspiring Games plan even more compact and efficient, in conjunction with invaluable insight from International Federations and other expert members of the Olympic Family and Paralympic Family." 

 

Besides wrestling being moved to the Tokyo Big Sight, the other indoor sports to be moved are basketball, gymnastics and handball.

 

Basketball and gymnastics are to relocated to the Youth Plaze while handball will now take place in the National Yoyogi Stadium.

 

The new cycling course will now begin and end at the Imperial Palace Garden, and go around the Tama Hillside at its midway point.

 

Officials claim new course offers several advantages, including more elevation to enhance the competitive challenge and more sights and greenery for viewers around the world to enjoy. 

 

The IOC are due to choose the host city for 2016 at its Session in Copenhagen on October 2, 2009.

 

The other candidates are Chicago, Madrid and Rio de Janeiro.