The title picture is from IC photo, picture background: October 10, 1964, over the Tokyo Olympic National Arena, the jet blasted out the Olympic rings. Author: Su Ning Fu Yifu, director of Institute of Finance, Consumer Finance Research Center Assistant, Senior Fellow

Japan was a mess in 1946.

Long-term war, labor and people hurt property, countless lives and 42% of national wealth were destroyed. At that time, the manufacturing capacity of Japanese manufacturing was less than the highest level before the war. (average level from 1934 to 1936) 40%, 30% ~ 60 % Of industrial equipment has been damaged, and the output of major products has fallen sharply to less than 50% of the previous peak period, and even agriculture has shrunk to 78% before the war. Coupled with severe inflation and large-scale workers’ unemployment, the morale of the people is extremely low, and the atmosphere of depression is spreading everywhere.

Japanese economist Arizawa Hiroki has used such a paragraph in his book “Hundred Years of Japanese Industry” to describe Japan’s post-war economic situation:

” The wreckage of a large amount of worthless production equipment for war is crooked; the other side is the people who don’t cover their bodies and eat their stomachs and flee to the west … it’s an artificial desert. “

On the other hand, as a defeated country, Japan ’s international status has plummeted. At the same time that it has lost the sovereignty of some countries and is subject to the “enemy clause”, its negative image has long been isolated and alienated by other countries. This has given Japan The development of diplomacy has brought great resistance.

Facing the double attack of “internal worry” and “external trouble”, Japan has settled down and began to concentrate its efforts on restoring national economic development. First, it has preferentially allocated limited materials and a large amount of government funding to the two pillars of steel and coal. In the industry, this has led to a rebound in industrial production; and through a series of reform measures such as the dissolution of the chaebol and the reform of the agricultural land system, the decisive position of market competition in the allocation of resources has been laid, laying a good foundation for economic and social development.

At the same time, under the influence of the Korean War, Japan became an important quarter for the United States in the Pacific.Supply bases and military bases. With the support of the United States and the domestic policy environment, Japan’s national economy achieved a rapid recovery. In 1953, it exceeded the pre-World War II level.

During this period, with the gradual recovery of the national economy, how to scrub the stigma of war, reshape the international image, and establish a new posture in the world has become the common aspiration of all Japanese. They urgently need an opportunity to reinvigorate the world. Get to know yourself after the war.

So the Japanese set their sights on bidding for the Olympic Games again.

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The reason for saying “again” is that the 12th Olympic Games in 1940 was originally settled in Japan.

At the Paris International Sports Congress in 1894, Coubertin called out the declaration that “the ancient Greek Olympicism returned to the world after centuries of eclipsing”, which kicked off the revival of the modern Olympics.

Compared to military expeditions and economic infiltration, the Olympic spirit of the Olympic Games, such as “sacred truce, enhanced understanding, fair competition, and hard work,” is more acceptable to the world, and it is precisely because of its unique spiritual appeal and international Influence, the Olympic Games attracted worldwide attention.

Due to the special historical background at the time, this should be a sports event shared by all mankind, and it became a game exclusively for European and American powers. The 11th Olympic Games before 1940 were jointly organized by Western Europe and the United States. (See the table below) , in contrast to other countries, let alone held, many of them are not even qualified to send athletes to the conference.

Japan can be said to be a pioneer in breaking the European and American monopoly pattern of the Olympics. When the Los Angeles Olympics were held in 1932, Tokyo officially submitted its bid to host the 12th Olympic Games in 1940.The application, on the one hand, is designed to commemorate the “span class =” text-remarks “label =” Remarks “> (2600th anniversary of the emperor Shenwu emperor ’s reign in 1940) , to strengthen the national loyalty and patriotism of the nation, On the other hand, the intention is to show the world the revival of the “Emperor Capital” after the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, and to promote the integration of Eastern and Western cultures and enhance Japan’s international status. After various efforts, Tokyo finally defeated Helsinki with 36:27 votes and won the right to host the event.

Just as Tokyo ran for an Olympic event that symbolized peace and friendship, the Japanese military ministry was “outrageous” like crazy, they launched a war of aggression against China desperately, at the expense of violating the “African War Convention” of 1928, At the same time as the Chinese people have brought severe disasters, they have also placed the Tokyo Olympic Committee and the International Olympic Committee in an extremely embarrassing situation, completely disregarding their country’s efforts to bid for the Olympic Games.

The extreme two sides of a country are intertwined, which can be called a historical spectacle, but the “violent” side prevails. In July 1938, Japan renounced the right to host the Olympic Games due to the pressure of war. The urgency of time was not enough for other countries to take over in time. The 12th Olympic Games finally failed, and the modern Olympic movement suffered The great shame has also become a major regret in the hearts of the Japanese people who yearn for peace and friendship, and it has also set the flames to ruin the achievements of decades of modernization.

Even so, the “fate” between Japan and the Olympics has not been exhausted.

With the continuous improvement of the national economic situation after the war, the issue of bidding to host the Olympic Games again has been put on the agenda. In May 1952, Tokyo Governor Seiichiro Yasui officially announced this intention, and solemnly stated that the purpose of the move was to “exhibit the image of the Japanese nation returning to peace and the international arena and the simple image of the Japanese who sincerely hope for peace.” , And especially emphasized that because the war suspended the pre-war Tokyo Olympic Games, out of “international faith”, it was necessary to apply for the right to host the Tokyo Olympics again. In June 1957, the “Sports Revitalization Review Report” issued by the Ministry of Education and Culture specifically added the significance of hosting the Olympic Games: “It is conducive to revitalizing China’s sports, deepening international understanding and goodwill, and especially providing the international community with a correct understanding of real Japan. A great opportunity “, the intention is self-evident.

They really need an Olympic Games too.

Despite losing to Rome in Italy during the 1954 bid for the 1960 Olympics, Japan was not discouraged, and in 1958 again launched an attack on the 1964 Olympics, finally defeating Brussels, Belgium and Austria