| Japan at the Olympics | |
|---|---|
 | |
| IOC code | JPN |
| NOC | Japanese Olympic Committee |
| Website | www |
| Medals Ranked 10th |
|
| Summer appearances | |
| Winter appearances | |
Japan first participated at theOlympic Games in 1912, and has competed at almost every Games since then. The nation was not invited to the 1948 Games afterWorld War II, and was part of theAmerican-led boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics inMoscow.
Since its first (ultimately canceled) bid in 1940, Japan has hosted the Olympics four times: in 1964, 1972, 1998, and 2021 (originally 2020). Each occasion coincided with critical turning points in Japan’s domestic development or global standing. The1964 Tokyo Olympics were a pivotal moment in Japan’s postwar recovery, offering a visual spectacle of modernization that included the unveiling of theShinkansen bullet train and the rapid reconstruction of Tokyo’s infrastructure. The event symbolized Japan’s reintegration into the international community after its defeat inWorld War II, marking its transition from a militaristic empire to a peaceful economic power aligned withWestern liberal democracies.[1]
The Olympics’ utility as a crisis-response tool became even more evident with the1998 Nagano Winter Olympics, held in the shadow of theAsian Financial Crisis. While neighboring countries like South Korea and Thailand struggled with IMF-imposed austerity, Japan sought to distinguish itself as a stable economic force capable of weathering regional turmoil.[2] The Nagano Olympics not only aimed to boost tourism and consumer confidence but also featured performances by Western orchestras and artists, symbolizing Japan’s cultural connectivity and shared values with the West.
The decision to pursue the2020 Tokyo Olympics—despite the enormous public cost and eventual delay due toCOVID-19—reflected similar motivations. Government officials emphasized the Games as a necessary stimulus for Japan’s sluggish economy and an opportunity to showcase its technological sophistication and preparedness in crisis.[2]
Japan won its first medals in1920, and its first gold medals in1928. Japanese athletes have won 542 medals at theSummer Olympic Games (exceptart competitions), with the most gold medals won injudo,gymnastics,wrestling, andswimming, as of the end of the2020 Summer Olympics. Japan has also won 76 medals at theWinter Olympic Games. Its most successful Olympics is the2020 Games hosted in Tokyo.
TheJapanese Olympic Committee was created in 1911 and recognized in 1912.[3]
Japan have hosted the Games on four occasions, including the2020 Summer Olympics (which was postponed to 2021 due to theCOVID-19 pandemic):
| Games | Dates | Host city |
|---|---|---|
| 1964 Summer Olympics | 10–24 October 1964 | Tokyo |
| 1972 Winter Olympics | 3–13 February 1972 | Sapporo |
| 1998 Winter Olympics | 7–22 February 1998 | Nagano |
| 2020 Summer Olympics | 23 July – 8 August 2021 | Tokyo |
| Games | Host city | Relocation prior to cancellation |
|---|---|---|
| 1940 Summer Olympics | Tokyo | Helsinki, Finland |
| 1940 Winter Olympics | Sapporo | Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany |
| Games | City | Winner of bid |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 Summer Olympics | Tokyo | Rome, Italy |
| 1968 Winter Olympics | Sapporo | Grenoble, France |
| 1984 Winter Olympics | Sapporo | Sarajevo, Yugoslavia |
| 1988 Summer Olympics | Nagoya | Seoul, South Korea |
| 2008 Summer Olympics | Osaka | Beijing, China |
| 2016 Summer Olympics | Tokyo | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
Host country
| Games | Athletes | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 1912 Stockholm | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
 1920 Antwerp | 15 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 17 |
 1924 Paris | 19 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 23 |
 1928 Amsterdam | 43 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 15 |
 1932 Los Angeles | 131 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 18 | 5 |
 1936 Berlin[Art] | 156 | 6 | 4 | 8 | 18 | 8 |
 1948 London | did not participate | |||||
 1952 Helsinki | 69 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 9 | 17 |
 1956 Melbourne | 110 | 4 | 10 | 5 | 19 | 10 |
 1960 Rome | 162 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 18 | 8 |
 1964 Tokyo | 328 | 16 | 5 | 8 | 29 | 3 |
 1968 Mexico City | 171 | 11 | 7 | 7 | 25 | 3 |
 1972 Munich | 184 | 13 | 8 | 8 | 29 | 5 |
 1976 Montreal | 213 | 9 | 6 | 10 | 25 | 5 |
 1980 Moscow | did not participate | |||||
| 1984 Los Angeles | 226 | 10 | 8 | 14 | 32 | 7 |
 1988 Seoul | 255 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 14 |
 1992 Barcelona | 256 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 22 | 17 |
| 1996 Atlanta | 306 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 14 | 23 |
| 2000 Sydney | 266 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 18 | 15 |
 2004 Athens | 306 | 16 | 9 | 12 | 37 | 5 |
 2008 Beijing | 332 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 25 | 8 |
| 2012 London | 295 | 7 | 14 | 17 | 38 | 11 |
 2016 Rio de Janeiro | 338 | 12 | 8 | 21 | 41 | 6 |
| 2020 Tokyo | 556 | 27 | 14 | 17 | 58 | 3 |
 2024 Paris | 403 | 20 | 12 | 13 | 45 | 3 |
| 2028 Los Angeles | future event | |||||
| 2032 Brisbane | ||||||
| Total (24/30) | 5,142 | 189 | 162 | 191 | 542 | 8 |
Host country
| Games | Athletes | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 1928 St. Moritz | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1932 Lake Placid | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1936 Garmisch-Partenkirchen | 31 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1948 St. Moritz | did not participate | |||||
 1952 Oslo | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1956 Cortina d'Ampezzo | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 11 |
| 1960 Squaw Valley | 41 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
 1964 Innsbruck | 47 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1968 Grenoble | 61 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1972 Sapporo | 85 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 11 |
| 1976 Innsbruck | 58 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1980 Lake Placid | 50 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 15 |
 1984 Sarajevo | 39 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 14 |
| 1988 Calgary | 48 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 16 |
| 1992 Albertville | 60 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 11 |
| 1994 Lillehammer | 59 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 11 |
| 1998 Nagano | 156 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 7 |
| 2002 Salt Lake City | 103 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 21 |
| 2006 Turin | 110 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 18 |
| 2010 Vancouver | 94 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 20 |
 2014 Sochi | 113 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 17 |
| 2018 Pyeongchang | 124 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 13 | 11 |
| 2022 Beijing | 124 | 3 | 7 | 8 | 18 | 12 |
| 2026 Milano Cortina | future event | |||||
| 2030 French Alps | ||||||
| 2034 Salt Lake City | ||||||
| Total (22/24) | 1,448 | 17 | 29 | 30 | 76 | 17 |
| Sport | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Judo | 51 | 23 | 30 | 104 |
 Wrestling | 45 | 23 | 19 | 87 |
 Gymnastics | 36 | 34 | 37 | 107 |
 Swimming | 24 | 28 | 32 | 84 |
 Athletics | 8 | 10 | 10 | 28 |
 Skateboarding | 5 | 3 | 1 | 9 |
 Volleyball | 3 | 3 | 3 | 9 |
 Fencing | 3 | 3 | 2 | 8 |
 Boxing | 3 | 0 | 5 | 8 |
 Weightlifting | 2 | 3 | 10 | 15 |
 Softball | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
 Table tennis | 1 | 4 | 5 | 10 |
 Shooting | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 |
 Badminton | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 |
 Baseball | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
 Karate | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
 Equestrian | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
 Breaking | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
 Artistic swimming | 0 | 4 | 10 | 14 |
 Archery | 0 | 3 | 4 | 7 |
 Cycling | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
 Sailing | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
 Sport climbing | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
 Tennis | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
 Football | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
 Golf | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
 Surfing | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
 Basketball | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
 Diving | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
 Field hockey | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
 Modern pentathlon | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
 Canoeing | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
 Taekwondo | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Totals (33 entries) | 189 | 162 | 191 | 542 |
| Sport | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Speed skating | 5 | 10 | 11 | 26 |
 Ski jumping | 4 | 6 | 4 | 14 |
 Figure skating | 3 | 5 | 3 | 11 |
 Nordic combined | 2 | 3 | 2 | 7 |
 Snowboarding | 1 | 3 | 3 | 7 |
 Freestyle skiing | 1 | 0 | 4 | 5 |
 Short track speed skating | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
 Curling | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
 Alpine skiing | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Totals (9 entries) | 17 | 29 | 30 | 76 |
In addition to its accomplishments in sport, Japan has also earned recognition in Olympicart competitions—one of the threenon-sports events once included in the Olympic Games. The country won a total of two art competition medals (2 bronze), both at the1936 Summer Olympics.[6] These events were part of the official Olympic program in seven Summer Games, from 1912 to 1948. In 1952, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) formally discontinued all non-sport events (including art competitions), as well as awards for feats (such asalpinism andaeronautics). These were subsequently removed from official national medal counts.[7][nb 1]
| Medal | Name | Games | Event | Piece |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Bronze | Ryuji Fujita | 1936 Berlin | Painting, Paintings | "Ice Hockey"[8] |
| Bronze | Sujaku Suzuki | 1936 Berlin | Painting, Drawings And Water Colors | "Classical Horse Racing in Japan"[9] |
| Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 Singapore | 8 | 5 | 3 | 16 |
| 2014 Nanjing | 7 | 9 | 5 | 21 |
| 2018 Buenos Aires | 15 | 12 | 12 | 39 |
| Totals (3 entries) | 30 | 26 | 20 | 76 |
| Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 Innsbruck | 2 | 5 | 9 | 16 |
| 2016 Lillehammer | 2 | 4 | 0 | 6 |
| 2020 Lausanne | 9 | 7 | 1 | 17 |
| 2024 Gangwon | 3 | 4 | 8 | 15 |
| Totals (4 entries) | 16 | 20 | 18 | 54 |
| Sport | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
_pictogram.svg) Gymnastics | 7 | 3 | 3 | 13 |
 Wrestling | 6 | 0 | 2 | 8 |
 Athletics | 3 | 7 | 3 | 13 |
 Swimming | 3 | 2 | 5 | 10 |
 Judo | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
 Table tennis | 2 | 5 | 0 | 7 |
 Karate | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
 Tennis | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
 Fencing | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
 Sport climbing | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
 Dancesport | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
 Triathlon | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
 Badminton | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
 Boxing | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
 Futsal | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
_pictogram.svg) Cycling | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
 Rugby | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Totals (17 entries) | 30 | 26 | 20 | 76 |
| Sport | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Snowboarding | 5 | 3 | 1 | 9 |
 Speed skating | 3 | 6 | 5 | 14 |
 Figure skating | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
 Ice hockey | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
 Ski jumping | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
 Nordic combined | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
 Short track speed skating | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
 Alpine skiing | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
 Cross-country skiing | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
 Curling | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Totals (10 entries) | 13 | 16 | 10 | 39 |
The1964 Summer Olympics marks Japan hosting its first Olympic Games. It was held in the capitalTokyo. It was also the first time it was held in Asia.
The1972 Winter Olympics marks the second time Olympics held in Japan. They were held inSapporo.
Because of its snowy geographic, Japan would hosts its first Winter Olympics. It was also the firstwinter olympics held in Asia.
The1998 Winter Olympics was the third time Japan hosted the Olympics and second for Winter. Was held atNagano. The motto of the games isCoexistence with Nature (自然との共存)
The2020 Summer Olympics marks the fourth time the Olympics was held in Japan. It was the first time it was held one year late (2021 instead of 2020) following the worldwideCOVID-19 pandemic. It marks the second time it was held in Tokyo. Its motto wasUnited by Emotion (感動で、私たちはひとつになる). During that time, only the English version was used.
This motto appeals that "Sports enable us to overcome different environments and become one world through emotions such as joy and excitement that the athletes' competitive performances bring together in our hearts."[10]
What does 'United by Emotion' mean?
