Comments on: The other Tokyo Olympics which never were http://www.mutantfrog.com/2009/10/26/the-other-tokyo-olympics-which-never-were/ Photos, Stories and articles on East Asia Tue, 16 Mar 2010 03:36:52 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Johannes http://www.mutantfrog.com/2009/10/26/the-other-tokyo-olympics-which-never-were/comment-page-1/#comment-427048 Johannes Wed, 28 Oct 2009 02:57:14 +0000 http://www.mutantfrog.com/?p=5471#comment-427048 A few days ago there was a NHK documentary (i think the series was called "Historia") on Kanō Jigorō 嘉納治五郎 who was the founder of Judo and (?one of?) the first non-Western member of the IOC. The 1940 olympics story was also mentioned in that broadcast. BTW, the vote for Tokyo in 1936 was in Nazi-Berlin. Another interesting aspect is the fact that sports were heavily promoted in advance of the the Anti-Comintern Pact. For instance, there was a kind of Okinawan sports event the same year before. Many postcards and letters by attending chrildren are documented in which they naïvely wrote their wishes for "peace in the world led by the two strong nations of Japan and Germany" or similar expressions decorated with swastikas and hinomaru flags etc.. These children surely didn't know that their event was - in the end - part of a huge propaganda for war. I once wrote a research note about this specific anecdote, which can be read over here (in Japanese): http://www.wilhelm.jp/files/papers/Wilhelm2003Trautz.pdf ( ボン大学日本文化研究所にあるトラウツ資料の1936年11月の宮古島博愛記念碑記念式典に関する史料の報告 [Resources on the ceremony held at the Hakuai-kinenhi (Miyako) in November 1936. A part of the Trautz-archive at the Institute for Japanese Studies, University of Bonn.] In: 第4回「沖縄研究国際シンポジウム」実行委員会 (ed.): 世界に拓く沖縄研究．第4回「沖縄研究国際シンポジウム」ヨーロッパ大会 [Okinawan Studies reach out for the World]. Naha, 2003. pp. 118-132.) Cheers Johannes A few days ago there was a NHK documentary (i think the series was called “Historia”) on Kanō Jigorō 嘉納治五郎 who was the founder of Judo and (?one of?) the first non-Western member of the IOC. The 1940 olympics story was also mentioned in that broadcast.
BTW, the vote for Tokyo in 1936 was in Nazi-Berlin.

Another interesting aspect is the fact that sports were heavily promoted in advance of the the Anti-Comintern Pact. For instance, there was a kind of Okinawan sports event the same year before. Many postcards and letters by attending chrildren are documented in which they naïvely wrote their wishes for “peace in the world led by the two strong nations of Japan and Germany” or similar expressions decorated with swastikas and hinomaru flags etc.. These children surely didn’t know that their event was – in the end – part of a huge propaganda for war.
I once wrote a research note about this specific anecdote, which can be read over here (in Japanese):
http://www.wilhelm.jp/files/papers/Wilhelm2003Trautz.pdf
( ボン大学日本文化研究所にあるトラウツ資料の1936年11月の宮古島博愛記念碑記念式典に関する史料の報告 [Resources on the ceremony held at the Hakuai-kinenhi (Miyako) in November 1936. A part of the Trautz-archive at the Institute for Japanese Studies, University of Bonn.] In: 第4回「沖縄研究国際シンポジウム」実行委員会 (ed.): 世界に拓く沖縄研究．第4回「沖縄研究国際シンポジウム」ヨーロッパ大会 [Okinawan Studies reach out for the World]. Naha, 2003. pp. 118-132.)
Cheers
Johannes

]]> By: Roy Berman http://www.mutantfrog.com/2009/10/26/the-other-tokyo-olympics-which-never-were/comment-page-1/#comment-426847 Roy Berman Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:27:30 +0000 http://www.mutantfrog.com/?p=5471#comment-426847 "Again, back to the issue at hand, does anyone want to wager when the next bid for the Olympics in Japan/Tokyo will take place? Will we even be around?" I don't expect to see another serious bid from Tokyo for at least 20 years, if then. Remember that Hiroshima and Nagasaki just announced plans for a joint bid, based on their shared heritage as nuke victims. The strategy is, I believe, based on the fact that the Olympics is specifically intended as an international peace promotion tool, giving them a serious advantage as compared with Tokyo's strategy of using "green" cred. However solid their plans might have been, "peace" is simply more relevant to the Olympic mission than environmentalism. “Again, back to the issue at hand, does anyone want to wager when the next bid for the Olympics in Japan/Tokyo will take place? Will we even be around?”

I don’t expect to see another serious bid from Tokyo for at least 20 years, if then. Remember that Hiroshima and Nagasaki just announced plans for a joint bid, based on their shared heritage as nuke victims. The strategy is, I believe, based on the fact that the Olympics is specifically intended as an international peace promotion tool, giving them a serious advantage as compared with Tokyo’s strategy of using “green” cred. However solid their plans might have been, “peace” is simply more relevant to the Olympic mission than environmentalism.

]]> By: Jade Oc http://www.mutantfrog.com/2009/10/26/the-other-tokyo-olympics-which-never-were/comment-page-1/#comment-426825 Jade Oc Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:14:28 +0000 http://www.mutantfrog.com/?p=5471#comment-426825 I promise never to argue about the Great Pumpkin (Hollowed be His head), if that helps.... I promise never to argue about the Great Pumpkin (Hollowed be His head), if that helps….

]]> By: Joe Jones http://www.mutantfrog.com/2009/10/26/the-other-tokyo-olympics-which-never-were/comment-page-1/#comment-426785 Joe Jones Tue, 27 Oct 2009 08:27:01 +0000 http://www.mutantfrog.com/?p=5471#comment-426785 A word from a great philosopher: <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/HbXe-vgPKW0&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/HbXe-vgPKW0&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> A word from a great philosopher:

]]> By: Jade Oc http://www.mutantfrog.com/2009/10/26/the-other-tokyo-olympics-which-never-were/comment-page-1/#comment-426774 Jade Oc Tue, 27 Oct 2009 08:08:17 +0000 http://www.mutantfrog.com/?p=5471#comment-426774 "What do you need in terms of proof, a copy of his family registry in Aomori?" Yeah, that would help a lot, thanks. No idea about the next bid. “What do you need in terms of proof, a copy of his family registry in Aomori?”

Yeah, that would help a lot, thanks.

No idea about the next bid.

]]> By: Adamu http://www.mutantfrog.com/2009/10/26/the-other-tokyo-olympics-which-never-were/comment-page-1/#comment-426772 Adamu Tue, 27 Oct 2009 07:58:28 +0000 http://www.mutantfrog.com/?p=5471#comment-426772 One big booster of the previous Olympic bid was Jigoro Kano, the inventor of judo who was also a very influential figure in Japan's education system in the Taisho and early Showa periods. The addition of judo to the Olympics in 1964 was in part a tribute to Kano and his connection to the games as a former Olympic representative for Japan. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jigoro_Kano#International_Olympics_Committee One big booster of the previous Olympic bid was Jigoro Kano, the inventor of judo who was also a very influential figure in Japan’s education system in the Taisho and early Showa periods. The addition of judo to the Olympics in 1964 was in part a tribute to Kano and his connection to the games as a former Olympic representative for Japan.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jigoro_Kano#International_Olympics_Committee

]]> By: Peter http://www.mutantfrog.com/2009/10/26/the-other-tokyo-olympics-which-never-were/comment-page-1/#comment-426771 Peter Tue, 27 Oct 2009 07:56:56 +0000 http://www.mutantfrog.com/?p=5471#comment-426771 What do you need in terms of proof, a copy of his family registry in Aomori? Again, back to the issue at hand, does anyone want to wager when the next bid for the Olympics in Japan/Tokyo will take place? Will we even be around? What do you need in terms of proof, a copy of his family registry in Aomori?

Again, back to the issue at hand, does anyone want to wager when the next bid for the Olympics in Japan/Tokyo will take place? Will we even be around?

]]> By: Jade Oc http://www.mutantfrog.com/2009/10/26/the-other-tokyo-olympics-which-never-were/comment-page-1/#comment-426756 Jade Oc Tue, 27 Oct 2009 07:06:08 +0000 http://www.mutantfrog.com/?p=5471#comment-426756 First, Christ's physical existence on Earth is not proved. It is likely, but not certain. The usual evidence given is Josephus, but that passage which refers to him has been argued as a later insertion. Second, Christ the Messiah Son of God as opposed to Jesuah bin Nazareth the Jewish preacher is most definitely mythical. First, Christ’s physical existence on Earth is not proved. It is likely, but not certain. The usual evidence given is Josephus, but that passage which refers to him has been argued as a later insertion. Second, Christ the Messiah Son of God as opposed to Jesuah bin Nazareth the Jewish preacher is most definitely mythical.

]]> By: Peter http://www.mutantfrog.com/2009/10/26/the-other-tokyo-olympics-which-never-were/comment-page-1/#comment-426745 Peter Tue, 27 Oct 2009 06:27:33 +0000 http://www.mutantfrog.com/?p=5471#comment-426745 "Personally I wouldn’t object to reinstating the Imperial calendar – nengo annoy me, and if you’re going to date things from a mythical person anyway, might as well choose the one that came first." Um, Jade Oc, if you want to compare Jimmu to the actual person of Christ, then yes, the former's arrival on Earth came first. But your slip was charging Christ with being mythical, and if you knew anything about that myth, you would know that it would put Christ way ahead of Jimmu. All that aside, and back to the matter at hand, I had forgotten about the first gaffed Olympic bid. That makes Tokyo 1-2 overall, does it not? “Personally I wouldn’t object to reinstating the Imperial calendar – nengo annoy me, and if you’re going to date things from a mythical person anyway, might as well choose the one that came first.”

Um, Jade Oc, if you want to compare Jimmu to the actual person of Christ, then yes, the former’s arrival on Earth came first. But your slip was charging Christ with being mythical, and if you knew anything about that myth, you would know that it would put Christ way ahead of Jimmu.

All that aside, and back to the matter at hand, I had forgotten about the first gaffed Olympic bid. That makes Tokyo 1-2 overall, does it not?

]]> By: Jade Oc http://www.mutantfrog.com/2009/10/26/the-other-tokyo-olympics-which-never-were/comment-page-1/#comment-426709 Jade Oc Tue, 27 Oct 2009 04:53:26 +0000 http://www.mutantfrog.com/?p=5471#comment-426709 This might be a place to start.... http://www.sfwj.or.jp/ This might be a place to start….
http://www.sfwj.or.jp/

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