1964 Tokyo Olympics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

1964 Tokyo Olympics - Essay Example Symbolizing a reacceptance to the global community and the end of a lengthy, depressing period for many Japanese, the 1964 Tokyo Summer Olympics was a moment to recognize and commemorate the progress and reemergence of Japan. This Japan was new and different from what it used to be in the eyes of the world; it was no longer a wartime foe, but a peaceful country that terrorized no one. In a surprisingly short time, the transition from distraught enemy to rebuilt friend was achieved in less than 2 decades. Japan had previously joined the United Nations and several other international organizations, but nothing matches the vision and splendor of an Olympics. The whole world would be coming to Japan, and those that could not come would be watching live and in color for the first time. It was also the first Olympiad to be hosted in a non-white, non-Western country, a point of pride for both Japan and the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The Japanese also made a decision to prove the world that they had restructured and were now a peace-loving people. The Olympics, which claim to be apolitical and about individuals coming together in nonviolent competition, were perfect for displaying this new identity based on Japan's constitution that renounced war as a tool of the state and its status as the only country to suffer from an atomic bombing. Certainly, selective amnesia was necessary that either forgot the war or centered on domestic torment during the war rather than the suffering Japanese caused across Asia and the Pacific during the 17 years of war. This was most obviously witnessed at the various art and cultural exhibits that cautiously eliminated all images and arts related to the Empire. As the Japanese government was basically prohibited the use of the military or its traditions, the Olympics were also a harmless way to promote patriotism and nationalism.