Team Japan - Profile

Highlights:

In September 2013 the Japanese capital Tokyo was awarded the right to host the 2020 Olympic Games. Tokyo is hosting the Games for a second time, having already held the Games in 1964.

Japan made its Olympic debut at the 1912 Games in Stockholm, where the NOC was represented by marathon runner Shizo Kanakuri and sprinter Yahiko Mishima. Kanakuri was one of a number of runners who did not finish the marathon in Stockholm due to extreme heat on the day of competition, but he did not notify officials and he was later listed as missing. Having represented Japan again in the marathon at the 1920 and 1924 Olympic Games, in 1967 he was invited to return to Stockholm, where he had become known as the 'missing marathoner', by the Swedish Olympic Committee and asked to 'finish' the race. He obliged, and upon crossing the line his time of 54 years, eight months, six days, five hours, 32 minutes and 20.3 seconds was read out.

Japan won its first Olympic medals at the 1920 Games in Antwerp, both in tennis. Ichiya Kumagai claimed silver in the men's singles and teamed up with Seiichiro Kashio for another silver in the men's doubles. Triple jumper Mikio Oda won Japan's first Olympic gold at the 1928 Amsterdam Games. Since then Japan has had great success in judo, wrestling and swimming events, but the NOC's most prolific medal winners have been gymnasts.

Sawao Kato competed at three consecutive editions of the Games between 1968 and 1976 and won eight gold medals, which is still the most by any Japanese athlete. His record includes three titles in the men's team event, individual all-around titles in 1968 and 1972, as well as gold on parallel bars in 1972 and 1976 and another on floor in 1968. Kato also won three silver medals and one bronze medal at the Olympic Games. Other notable Japanese gymnasts include Akinori Nakayama, who claimed six gold, two silver, and two bronze across the 1968 and 1972 Games, and Takashi Ono [1952, 1956, 1960, 1964] who has 13 Olympic medals to his name - more than any other athlete from Japan. More recently, Kohei Uchimura secured three gold medals and four silver medals between 2008 and 2016, which included the men's individual all-around title at both London 2012 and Rio 2016.

Japan's most decorated non-gymnast is swimmer Kosuke Kitajima. He won the men's 100m and 200m breaststroke at both the 2004 and 2008 Games, clocking a world record in the 100m in Beijing. He also collected a silver medal [2012] and two bronze medals [2004, 2008] in the 4x100m medley relay during his Olympic career. Japan's two most successful female athletes are freestyle wrestlers Saori Yoshida and Kaori Icho. Yoshida dominated the 55kg event at the Olympic Games from 2004 to 2012 but was a shock silver medallist in 2016. Icho went one better, winning four consecutive Olympic titles between 2004 and 2016.

Japanese athletes have won more medals in judo than any other nation at the Olympic Games since the sport made its debut on the Olympic programme at the 1964 Games in Tokyo. Tadahiro Nomura's three gold medals at consecutive Games between 1996 and 2004 make him Japan's most decorated judoka at the Games.

Additional Information: Website
https://www.joc.or.jp

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/JapanOlympicTeam

Anthem Title: Kimigayo [His Majesty's Reign]

Anthem Composer: Music by Hiromori Hayashi.

Anthem Inducted: 1999

Official NOC Name: Japanese Olympic Committee

Founding Date: 1911

IOC Recognition Date: 1912

Delegation President: Yasuhiro Yamashita

Delegation Secretary General: Tsuyoshi Fukui

IOC Members: Morinari Watanabe [entry in the IOC: 2018], Yasuhiro Yamashita [entry in the IOC: 2020], Chihary Igaya [entry in the IOC: 1982]

First OG/PG Appearance: 1912

Number OG/PG Appearances: 23 [Tokyo 2020 included]

Summary: