A massive Italian cruise ship, the Costa Serena, arrived in Nagoya on Tuesday, serving as a floating dormitory for roughly 4,000 athletes and officials participating in the Asian Games. As the event prepares for its official opening this Saturday, organizers are banking on the 100,000-tonne vessel to help alleviate mounting pressure caused by a severe shortage of quality housing. While committee president Hideaki Omura touted the ship as a pioneer for sustainable event hosting, the move highlights the desperate measures taken to accommodate the 17,000-plus participants currently flooding into the city.

However, the arrival of the ship has done little to quiet the growing chorus of criticism regarding the Games' living conditions. Teams from various nations, including South Korea, have voiced significant frustrations over the quality of the temporary wooden huts, which have been plagued by issues ranging from leaking sinks and flooding to undersized beds. With officials from multiple countries reporting a "serious shortage" of appropriate lodging, the organizers face a difficult challenge in ensuring that the athletes' experience remains focused on competition rather than their substandard living environments.