The body has put out a call for participants for the demonstration, which they are calling the "Twinkle, Twinkle Gaien Walk", and will take place tomorrow.

"Please come join us in person or in spirit to express our love of the dear old stadium," read a statement from the Custodians of the National Stadium.

The group will meet at the square in front of the Emperor Meiji Memorial Picture Gallery and take the counter clockwise walk around the streets surrounding the stadium, which hosted events at the 1964 Olympic Games.

All participants will be given a luminescent bracelet.

"Imagine countless many little lights glistening as the evening dusk creeps on, forming a big circle around the stadium," the statement added.

The Custodians of the National Stadium are also urging the public to take part in an online poll to express their thoughts about the demolition of the stadium, which is expected to take place later this month.

Votes can be made up until Sunday (January 18), with the results due to be announced in a BS Asahi television programme.

An artists impression of what the new National Stadium in Tokyo will look like 
©Japan Sports Council



This, however, will not be the first demonstration to be staged to oppose the proposed 80,000-seat stadium, designed by the British-Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid, who also designed the Aquatics Centre at London 2012.

Some 500 protesters demonstrated in the Japanese capital last July, arguing that the new stadium is too big and expensive and likely to harm the local environment.

The project has also faced a series of setbacks and delays after complaints of irregularities were made about an earlier bid for the project last year, and the first round of bidding to demolish the stadium failed because all the bids were too high.

The new stadium is due to be completed in time for the Rugby World Cup in 2019.

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