Japan architect defends stadium plan as anger grows

TOKYO (Reuters) - The architect who oversaw the selection of plans for Japan's new Olympic stadium defended the controversial design on Thursday, saying ballooning costs were not his fault even as the government appeared poised to consider cost-cutting changes.

Last month's announcement that costs for the new National Stadium had surged to $2.1 billion, nearly double original estimates, set off a firestorm among the public, sceptical about spending so much when the country is still recovering from the 2011 disasters that left nearly 20,000 dead.