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Japan justifies $4.5 billion bill

TOKYO, Japan (Reuters) -- Japanese organisers have justified the enormous cost of co-hosting the World Cup and insist they will be able to balance the books this summer.

Japanese tournament director Junji Ogura said on Friday the estimated $4.5 billion spent on stadia, transport, hotels and other facilities since 1996 was an investment in the future.

"We realised when we were bidding for the World Cup that there was a lack of first-class stadia and sports facilities in Japan," said Ogura, a vice-president of the Japan Football Association.

"The World Cup gives us a perfect opportunity to solve that problem, which in turn will help raise the standard of sport in the country." The tournament, which Japan is co-hosting with South Korea, kicks off on May 31.

Ogura argued that the infrastructure bill, effectively for half a World Cup, should not be seen as excessive when compared with the $1.5 billion France spent preparing for the 1998 finals.

"It is not just the construction costs for the 10 stadia. You must factor in the extremely high cost of real estate in Japan. The outlay is worth every yen," he said.

He added that Japanese organisers are confident they will be able to show a profit after the World Cup. "We have an operating budget of $454 million and we have every faith that we can balance the books."

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