Japan yet to catch Asian Games fever as Nagoya welcomes athletes

NAGOYA, Japan, Sept 18 - Five years after the Tokyo Olympics unfolded to empty stadiums, the Asian Games offer Japan another chance to throw open the gates to fans and enjoy a major multi-sport event with a proper atmosphere.

But a day before Saturday's opening ceremony in Nagoya, the mood was decidedly low-key among some locals.

"I have no real idea about these Games," university student Hinata Koda told Reuters at a cafe on Friday.

"I heard they were on but no-one has really been talking about it."

The Games have already kicked off with soccer and basketball preliminaries, thousands of athletes have filed into Nagoya, and there is no shortage of signage promoting the event.

Advertising is prominent in the inner city, while volunteers and officials are a visible presence at the main train station.

Further afield, though, the event barely registers.