The new 130 billion yen (£1 billion/$1.6 billion/€1.3 billion) arena in Tokyo will be built on the same site as the Stadium which hosted the 1964 Olympics.

Masato Mizuno, the chief executive of Tokyo 2020, claimed that it would be the most advanced Olympic Stadium ever and it will be built even if the bid fails because it will also be the centrepiece of the Rugby World Cup, which Japan has already been chosen to host in 2019.

"This is the jewel in the crown of our venue plan," said Mizuno.

"It's a beautiful example of how Tokyo is bringing the values of Olympic Legacy in direct connection with the future."

As part of a complete remodelling, the Kasumigoaka National Stadium in central Tokyo will have state-of-the-art all-weather features, including a retractable roof, which has never happened before in the history of the Olympics.

London 2012 officials here have faced criticism for building an Olympic Stadium that does not have a roof leaving many of the 80,000 crowd who attended last night's Opening Ceremony to get soaking wet during a brief downpour before the ceremony started.

In addition, the new Tokyo Stadium will have a field of natural grass, and suited to host a variety of sports, including athletics, rugby and football.

An international contest was recently launched to solicit entries for the final design of the new stadium; the competition jury will be overseen by world-renowned Japanese architect Tadao Ando.

Japanese officials claimed that hosting the Olympics would be worth 2.9 trillion yen (£23 billion/$37 billion/€30 billion) and create an extra 150,000 jobs, perhaps in an effort to help rally public support behind the bid.

An International Olympic Committee (IOC) poll published earlier this year showed just 47 per cent of Tokyo's citizens support the city's second successive bid for the Summer Games after failing to win the 2016 Olympics.

The poll showed 78 percent supported debt-hit Madrid's bid with 73 percent backing the Istanbul bid in the three-horse race.

Tokyo's poor polling figures came even though the bid - which earlier this month unveiled its campaign slogan, "Discover Tomorrow" - is supposed to help the country heal from last year's disastrous earthquake and tsunami which left more than 15,000 people dead.

"Japan needs more energy and good news, bright news, happy news, and therefore by hosting the Olympics in Tokyo the sufferers in the [Tokyo] region will get hope for the future," said Tsunekazu Takeda, the President of Tokyo 2020, who earlier this week officially became a member of the IOC.

"Hosting the 2020 Games would bring Japan an immense sense of pride.

Japan's newly-elected IOC member Tsunekazu Takeda believes that if Tokyo host the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics it would help the country's recovery from last year's earthquake and tsunami

"We are ready and able to host a dynamic celebration of Olympic Values.

"Our bid effort and our vision for the Games reflects what our city and the Japanese people are all about, and what we can contribute to the Olympic Movement.

"With the word 'Discover' we summarise our ability to be innovative and to lead.

"And the word 'Tomorrow' encapsulates our tendency to always look forward, and to think about the future.

"Our plans for 2020 will unite the power of the Games with the values of the Japanese people - and the excitement of a city that sets global trends."

Former Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori, Japan's former Prime Minister, claimed that people would throw their support behind the bid once they understood what a great plan it is.

"We have to do this preparation very early so the public will catch up," said Mori, the vice-chairman of the Tokyo 2020 and the President of the Japan Rugby Football Union.

"We will make sure 100 per cent of the nation are in line with wanting the Games.

"We will make sure that happens."

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