Architect Kengo Kuma’s roots lie in the Tokyo Olympics. As a 10-year old boy at the time of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, Kuma was taken by his father to visit the Yoyogi National Gymnasium designed by Kenzo Tange. The design would have a profound impact on Kuma, sparking his desire to become an architect. After the plot twists surrounding the New National Stadium, the team of Taisei Corporation, Azusa Sekkei, and Kengo Kuma won the revised bid, with an inviting design that is just two-thirds the height of the original Zaha Hadid design. The stadium makes extensive use of wood, and the warm design blends into the surrounding outer garden of Meiji Shrine. We will examine the philosophy and ideas of architect Kengo Kuma, which carry on to the design of the New National Stadium for the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.