Tokyo: The organisers of the postponed Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo have announced a new creative team around director Hiroshi Sasaki, which will produce a "simpler, more low-key” opening ceremony.

"It is appropriate that we present ceremonial events in a simpler fashion in order to reflect the experiences of the pandemic across the world,” read a statement.

Sasaki, who worked on the transfer ceremony fom Rio de Janeiro 2016 to Tokyo, added that extravagant ceremonies might have been impressive in the past, but they would be considered "too much” given the current situation.

"We have to use these times as a chance to change,” he said. "Because of, or rather thanks to, COVID-19.”

In the last few weeks, organisers of the Tokyo Olympic Games, which are due to take place between July 23 and August 8, 2021, have agreed upon a revised budget, a new schedule for test events and measures to combat the coronavirus.

Final budget

The final budget for the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games has been increased by 22 percent to 1.64 trillion yen (15.8 billion US dollars) because of the postponement of the Games.

The Tokyo 2020 organising committee said that the additional cost caused by the postponement is about 294 billion yen (about 2.83 billion US dollars), with the operational cost for the delay 198 billion yen (about $1.91 billion), and the COVID-19 counter-measures cost of 96 billion yen (about $920 million).

Of all the costs, Tokyo 2020 will cover 45 percent , the metropolitan government 43 percent , and the Japanese central government will account for 12 percent .

The cost for COVID-19 countermeasures will be paid by the two governments, with the central government covering 58 percent and the Tokyo government 42 percent.