This is a visual explainer based on the Wikipedia article on the 1964 Summer Olympics. Read the full source article here. (opens in new tab)

Echoes of '64: Tokyo's Transformative Summer Olympics

A deep dive into the Games of the XVIII Olympiad, a pivotal moment in sports, technology, and global diplomacy, marking Asia's debut as an Olympic host.

Explore Games ๐ŸŽŒ View Moments ๐Ÿ†

Dive in with Flashcard Learning!


When you are ready...
๐ŸŽฎ Play the Wiki2Web Clarity Challenge Game๐ŸŽฎ

What Was Tokyo '64?

A Global Milestone

The 1964 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVIII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Tokyo, Japan, from October 10 to 24, 1964. This marked a significant historical moment as it was the first time the Olympic Games were hosted in Asia, symbolizing a new era of global participation and recognition for the continent.

  • Location: Tokyo, Japan
  • Duration: October 10 to 24, 1964
  • Participants: 93 nations, 5,137 athletes (4,457 men, 680 women)
  • Events: 163 events across 19 sports (25 disciplines)

Symbol of Renewal

Tokyo's selection as host city carried profound symbolic weight. The city had originally been awarded the 1940 Summer Olympics, an honor that was subsequently transferred to Helsinki due to Japan's invasion of China, and ultimately cancelled entirely due to World War II. The 1964 Games thus represented Japan's remarkable post-war reconstruction and its re-emergence as a peaceful, modern nation on the global stage.

The lighting of the Olympic flame by Yoshinori Sakai, born in Hiroshima on the day the atomic bomb was dropped in 1945, powerfully underscored this theme of peace and renewal.

Technological Leap

The 1964 Tokyo Games were groundbreaking in their use of technology. They were the first Olympics to be telecast internationally without the need for physical tapes to be flown overseas, a significant advancement from the 1960 Rome Games. This was achieved using the Syncom 3 geostationary communication satellite for broadcasts to the United States, and then relayed to Europe via Relay 1.

Furthermore, these Games featured the first partial color telecasts, with events popular in Japan, such as sumo wrestling and judo matches, being broadcast in color for the domestic market using Toshiba's new transmission system. The entire event was famously chronicled in Kon Ichikawa's acclaimed 1965 sports documentary film, Tokyo Olympiad.

Hosting the Games

Selection Process

Tokyo secured the rights to host the Games on May 26, 1959, during the 55th International Olympic Committee (IOC) Session held in Munich, West Germany. The Japanese capital successfully outmaneuvered bids from several prominent international cities, demonstrating its readiness and vision for the global event.

1964 Summer Olympics Bidding Result

City Country Round 1 Votes
Tokyo Japan 34
Detroit United States 10
Vienna Austria 9
Brussels Belgium 5

Notably, Toronto had also been an early bidder but did not advance to the final round of voting.

Strategic Timing

The scheduling of the 1964 Games for mid-October was a deliberate and strategic decision. This timing was chosen to circumvent Tokyo's intense midsummer heat and humidity, as well as to avoid the region's prevalent September typhoon season. This contrasted with the preceding 1960 Rome Olympics, which commenced in late August and were characterized by hot weather conditions. The success of this scheduling influenced subsequent Games, with the 1968 Mexico City Olympics also beginning in October.

Infrastructure & Innovation

The hosting of the Olympics spurred significant infrastructural development and showcased Japan's technological prowess. A monumental achievement was the inauguration of the first Japanese "bullet train," the Tลkaidล Shinkansen, which began regular service on October 1, 1964โ€”just nine days before the Games commenced. This high-speed rail linked Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka, covering 515 kilometers in approximately four hours, revolutionizing transportation.

In the realm of sports technology, the 1964 Games marked the last Summer Olympics to utilize a traditional cinder track for athletics events. Concurrently, they were the first to feature fiberglass poles in pole vaulting, signaling a shift towards modern equipment in competitive sports.

Defining Moments

Opening Ceremony Symbolism

The opening ceremony was a meticulously crafted spectacle, featuring a theme song composed by Yลซji Koseki. The most poignant moment was the lighting of the Olympic flame by Yoshinori Sakai. His selection was deeply symbolic: born in Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, the day the atomic bomb was dropped, Sakai represented Japan's remarkable post-war reconstruction and its fervent commitment to global peace.

Cultural Introductions

The 1964 Games were notable for introducing two sports highly popular in Japan to the Olympic program: Judo and Volleyball. Japan's athletes excelled in these new disciplines, securing gold medals in three judo events. However, the Dutchman Anton Geesink famously won the Open category, demonstrating the international reach of the sport. The Japanese women's volleyball team also achieved a gold medal, with their final match broadcast live to an enthusiastic domestic audience.

Beyond competitive sports, the traditional Japanese drumming art of Kumi-daiko was showcased to a worldwide audience during the Festival of Arts presentation, offering a vibrant cultural experience.

Unforgettable Feats

The Games were rich with stories of extraordinary human endeavor and unique circumstances:

  • Ranatunge Karunananda, representing Ceylon in the men's 10,000 meters, continued to run alone after all other competitors had finished. Initially met with jeers, his perseverance ultimately earned him cheers and applause, becoming a celebrated story in Japanese school textbooks.
  • Zambia made history by entering the Games as Northern Rhodesia and achieving full independence on the day of the closing ceremony, thus becoming the first country to enter and leave an Olympic Games under different national identities. Their team proudly used a "Zambia" placard during the closing ceremony.
  • Joe Frazier, who would later become a heavyweight boxing champion, remarkably won a gold medal in heavyweight boxing despite competing with a broken thumb.

The Sporting Arena

Olympic Program Overview

The 1964 Summer Olympics featured a robust program comprising 19 distinct sports, further divided into 25 disciplines. A total of 163 events were contested, offering numerous opportunities for athletes to compete for Olympic glory. The National Stadium served as the primary venue for many of these thrilling competitions.

New Disciplines Introduced

Beyond Judo and Volleyball, which were integrated into the official program, the 1964 Games also saw the introduction of the Women's Pentathlon to the athletics events. This multi-event competition challenged female athletes across five disciplines: shot put, high jump, hurdling, sprint, and long jump, expanding the scope of women's participation in track and field.

Demonstration Events

In addition to the official medal sports, the Tokyo Games featured demonstration sports, offering a glimpse into potential future Olympic inclusions and showcasing local cultural significance. These included:

  • Baseball: A sport with immense popularity in Japan.
  • Budล: A collective term for Japanese martial arts, featuring:
    • Kyลซdล: Japanese archery.
    • Sumo: Traditional Japanese wrestling.
    • Kendo: Japanese fencing with bamboo swords.

Official Sports and Disciplines (with event counts)

  • Aquatics
    • Diving (4)
    • Swimming (18)
    • Water polo (1)
  • Athletics (36)
  • Basketball (1)
  • Boxing (10)
  • Canoeing (7)
  • Cycling
    • Road (2)
    • Track (5)
  • Equestrian
    • Dressage (2)
    • Eventing (2)
    • Jumping (2)
  • Fencing (8)
  • Field hockey (1)
  • Football (1)
  • Gymnastics (14)
  • Judo (4)
  • Modern pentathlon (2)
  • Rowing (7)
  • Sailing (5)
  • Shooting (6)
  • Volleyball (2)
  • Weightlifting (7)
  • Wrestling
    • Freestyle (8)
    • Greco-Roman (8)

Medal Tally

Overall Dominance

The United States emerged at the top of the gold medal table at the 1964 Summer Olympics, showcasing a strong performance across various disciplines. The Soviet Union, while not leading in gold medals, secured the highest number of medals overall, demonstrating their broad athletic prowess.

Notable individual performances contributed significantly to these national tallies. For instance, American swimmer Don Schollander earned four gold medals, while 15-year-old Sharon Stouder claimed three golds and one silver in women's swimming.

Host Nation Performance

As the host nation, Japan delivered a commendable performance, particularly in the newly introduced sports. Their athletes secured 16 gold medals, 5 silver, and 8 bronze, totaling 29 medals. This included significant victories in Judo and the women's volleyball competition, which captivated the nation.

The ranking convention for Olympic medal tables prioritizes the number of gold medals, followed by silver, and then bronze, to determine a nation's standing.

1964 Summer Olympics Medal Table (Top 10)

Rank Nation Gold Silver Bronze Total
1United States36262890
2Soviet Union30313596
3Japan*165829
4United Team of Germany10221850
5Italy1010727
6Hungary107522
7Poland761023
8Australia621018
9Czechoslovakia56314
10Great Britain412218
Totals (10 entries)134127126387

Participating Nations

Expanding Participation

The 1964 Summer Olympics saw a significant expansion in global participation, with 94 nations sending athletes to Tokyo. A notable 16 nations made their Olympic debut at these Games, reflecting the growing international reach and appeal of the Olympic movement. These new entrants included Algeria, Cameroon, Chad, Congo, Cรดte d'Ivoire (as Ivory Coast), Dominican Republic, Libya (though it withdrew its lone athlete before competition), Madagascar, Malaysia, Mali, Mongolia, Nepal, Niger, Northern Rhodesia, Senegal, and Tanzania (as Tanganyika).

Political Dimensions

The Games were not without their political complexities. South Africa was notably excluded from participating due to its government's adherence to the apartheid system, which enforced racial segregation in sports. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) had demanded a multi-racial delegation, which South Africa refused to provide. This marked a significant stance against racial discrimination in international sports.

Indonesia was initially banned from the 1964 Olympics due to its refusal to grant visas to Israeli and Taiwanese athletes for the 1962 Asian Games. While this decision was later changed, citing a shift in the Indonesian government's position, it underscored the political pressures inherent in international sporting events.

National Transitions

The 1964 Games also witnessed nations undergoing significant political transformations:

  • Northern Rhodesia achieved full independence as Zambia on the very day of the closing ceremony, making it a unique instance of a country entering the Games under one name and leaving under another.
  • Athletes from East Germany and West Germany continued to compete together as the United Team of Germany, a practice that had been in place since 1956. This would be their final joint appearance before competing as separate national teams from the 1968 Winter Olympics onwards.
  • Rhodesia (formerly Southern Rhodesia) made its last of three appearances at the Summer Olympics, with Zimbabwe later making its debut in 1980.

Participating National Olympic Committees and Athlete Counts

IOC Code Country Athletes
AFGAfghanistan8
AGRAlgeria1
ARGArgentina102
AUSAustralia243
AUTAustria56
BAHBahamas11
BELBelgium61
BERBermuda4
BOLBolivia1
BRABrazil61
BULBulgaria63
BIRBurma11
CABCambodia13
CMRCameroon1
CANCanada115
CEYCeylon6
CHDChad2
CHIChile14
COLColombia20
CGORepublic of the Congo2
COSCosta Rica2
CUBCuba27
CZSCzechoslovakia104
DENDenmark60
DOMDominican Republic1
UAREgypt73
ETHEthiopia12
FINFinland89
FRAFrance138
GHAGhana33
GBIGreat Britain204
GREGreece18
GUIGuyana1
HOKHong Kong39
HUNHungary182
ICEIceland4
INDIndia53
IRNIran62
IRQIraq13
IRLIreland25
ISRIsrael10
ITAItaly168
IVCIvory Coast9
JAMJamaica21
JPNJapan328
KENKenya37
LEBLebanon5
LBRLiberia1
LICLiechtenstein2
LUXLuxembourg12
MAGMadagascar3
MASMalaysia61
MLIMali2
MEXMexico94
MONMonaco1
MGLMongolia21
MRCMorocco20
NEPNepal6
NLDNetherlands125
NANNetherlands Antilles4
NZLNew Zealand64
NGRNiger1
NGANigeria18
NRHNorthern Rhodesia12
NORNorway26
PAKPakistan41
PANPanama10
PERPeru31
PHIPhilippines47
POLPoland140
PORPortugal20
PURPuerto Rico32
TWNTaiwan40
RHORhodesia29
RUMRomania138
SGLSenegal12
KORSouth Korea154
URSSoviet Union317
SPASpain51
SWESweden94
SWISwitzerland66
TAGTanganyika4
THAThailand54
TTOTrinidad and Tobago13
TUNTunisia9
TURTurkey23
UGAUganda13
USAUnited States346
EUAUnited Team of Germany337
URUUruguay23
VENVenezuela16
VIEVietnam16
YUGYugoslavia75

Libya also participated in the Opening Ceremony but its sole marathon runner withdrew from the competition before competing.

Teacher's Corner

Edit and Print this course in the Wiki2Web Teacher Studio

Edit and Print Materials from this study in the wiki2web studio
Click here to open the "1964 Summer Olympics" Wiki2Web Studio curriculum kit

Use the free Wiki2web Studio to generate printable flashcards, worksheets, exams, and export your materials as a web page or an interactive game.

True or False?

Test Your Knowledge!

Gamer's Corner

Are you ready for the Wiki2Web Clarity Challenge?

Learn about 1964_summer_olympics while playing the wiki2web Clarity Challenge game.
Unlock the mystery image and prove your knowledge by earning trophies. This simple game is addictively fun and is a great way to learn!

Play now

Explore More Topics

Discover other topics to study!

                                        

References

References

  1.  Japanese: รฆยยฑรคยบยฌ1964
  2.  Postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic
A full list of references for this article are available at the 1964 Summer Olympics Wikipedia page

Feedback & Support

To report an issue with this page, or to find out ways to support the mission, please click here.

Disclaimer

Important Notice

This page was generated by an Artificial Intelligence and is intended for informational and educational purposes only. The content is based on a snapshot of publicly available data from Wikipedia and may not be entirely accurate, complete, or up-to-date. Historical events and their interpretations can evolve, and while efforts have been made to present information accurately based on the provided source, new research or perspectives may emerge.

This is not official historical documentation or academic research. The information provided on this website is not a substitute for consulting primary historical sources, official Olympic archives, or peer-reviewed academic publications. Always refer to authoritative historical records and scholarly works for in-depth study and verification. Never disregard established historical facts or academic consensus because of something you have read on this website.

The creators of this page are not responsible for any errors or omissions, or for any actions taken based on the information provided herein.