Arenas of gold: Tokyo venues that will forge Olympic dreams

Fukushima Azuma Baseball Stadium | Japanese authorities have dubbed Tokyo 2020 the "Reconstruction Olympics" and they are determined to show that areas in eastern Fukushima have been revitalised since the crippling 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear meltdown.

With six months until the Tokyo 2020 opening ceremony, workers are putting the finishing touches on the 43 Olympic sites that will be located in two main zones.

People pose for a photo prior to the opening event outside the new National Stadium.

Olympic Aquatics Centre | Construction on the $523 million venue for swimming, diving and artistic swimming is on schedule to be completed by the end of February. The Aquatics Centre in the Bay Zone will seat 15,000, which will be reduced to 5,000 after the Games when it will host competitions and be open to the public.

Ariake Arena | The brand-new Ariake Arena will host Olympic volleyball and Paralympic basketball, with seating for 15,000. Solar panels on its curved roof were carefully aligned to avoid reflecting sunlight into nearby apartments.

Sea Forest Waterway | On a lush artificial island, in the shadow of the huge Tokyo Gate Bridge, sits the Sea Forest Waterway - a two-kilometre basin protected from the sea by a dam, where rowers will glide along eight competition lanes. The arena will seat 24,000 during the Games, reduced to 2,000 afterwards when it will host 30 competitions per year as well as canoeing and rowing classes.

Japan's National Stadium for the upcoming Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Nippon Budokan | The famous martial arts arena was first built for judo in 1964 and boasts a curved roof to resemble Mount Fuji. It will also host karate in 2020. It became a renowned concert venue after the 1964 Olympics and famously played host to the Beatles in 1966 when they made their first appearance in Japan.

Kasai Canoe Slalom Centre | The first artificial canoe slalom course in Japan has vast concrete basins that slope at a two-degree gradient. Four pumps will be installed and blocks placed on the course to create a raging current. The site is intended for a wide range of watersports and leisure activities after the Games.

Olympic Village | The Olympic Village is being built on reclaimed land on a huge rectangular site looking out over the water. It will have 21 towers stretching between 14 and 18 floors with a total capacity of 18,000 beds during the Olympics and 8,000 for the Paralympics. After the Games, the apartments will be available to buy or rent.