Paralympic Games
24 August - 5 September 2021

Fifty years since the Tokyo 1964 Games celebrated

Japan and the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee held celebrations to mark 50 years since the Tokyo 1964 Games. 11 Oct 2014
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Japanese people standing in a line under a Tokyo 2020 banner

The Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee celebrate 50 years since the Tokyo 1964 Games

ⒸShugo Takemi
By IPC

On 10 October, 50 years ago, the opening ceremony of the XVIII Olympiad and the second Paralympic Games took place

Japan and the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee has come together to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Tokyo 1964 Olympic and Paralympic games.

On 10 October, 50 years ago, the Opening Ceremony of the XVIII Olympiad and the second Paralympic Games took place, with the legacy of the Games still palpable in present-day Tokyo.

It is now 2,120 days to go until the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and 2,163 days to go until the Paralympic Games.

“On this auspicious occasion, I am delighted to be able to share the fond memories we all have of the 1964 Games, and build up the momentum towards the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games,” said Tokyo 2020 President Yoshiro Mori.

“The 1964 Games changed Japan. And our ‘All Japan’ team is currently working hard to ensure we deliver a Games that will prompt future generations to look back and say, ‘In 2020, the power of the Olympic and Paralympic Games really served to inspire the world.’”

The festivities brought together the whole city, with many exhibitions opening to share the Olympic and Paralympic passion, including one hosted by the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) showcasing medals, the Olympic torch, posters and other memorabilia from the 1964 Games.

The 1964 Games memories and the hopes for the 2020 Games are closely connected. While the JOC organised discussion sessions featuring 1964 Olympians and Paralympians which were open for members of the general public to attend, as well as an official reception for the Olympic Family, Tokyo 2020 presented an outline of its refined vision for the Games while the Tokyo 2020 Athletes’ Commission and Advisory Meeting held their inaugural meetings.

The vision, entitled: “Sport has the power to change the world and future. Japan changed in 1964. Let’s inspire the world in 2020,” is based on the bid’s Discover Tomorrow commitment.

The finalised version for the Tokyo 2020 Games will be laid out in the Games Foundation Plan, which will be submitted to the International Olympic Committee in February 2015.

For more information, visit the Tokyo 2020 website.