I am an ALT in Tokushima. I came to Japan on The JET Programme in summer 2011 having completed an MA in East Asian History at Newcastle University in 2010.
On 7th September 2013, the success or failure of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic bid will be determined. As the decision draws near, I will be writing about Tokyo’s Olympic history from the 1930s to the present day.
This project will allow me to revisit my own research, carried out back in 2010. I hope that I can promote the Tokyo 2020 campaign and raise awareness of the history of Olympic Japan by making this research available to a wider audience.
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- Issues raised by the Olympic Torch Relay.
- August 15th, 2013Category: Culture
- Plans for the Olympic Torch Relay will begin in earnest if Tokyo is awarded the right to host the 2020 Olympic Games next month. The logistical concerns of the 1940 and 1964 Olympic Organising Committees would have to be revisited for 2020. With such a symbolic inte ... » Continue Reading
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- Tokyo 2020: The urban legacy of Tokyo 1964
- July 3rd, 2013Category: Uncategorized
- On May 30th 2013, Tokyo Tower marked one hundred days until the outcome of the 2020 Olympic bid process with a light display and the release of hundreds of Olympic-colour balloons into the night sky. This date also signified the handover of Tokyo Tower’s main broadc ... » Continue Reading
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- Learning from defeat and redefining Tokyo’s Olympic dream
- May 23rd, 2013Category: Culture, Events
- In October 2009, during the 121st Session of the International Olympic Committee, a vote was held to determine the Olympic host city for 2016. Tokyo was knocked out in the second round of voting, behind Madrid and, the eventual winners, Rio de Janeiro. The current T ... » Continue Reading
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- Preparations for the 1940 Olympic Games and lessons for Tokyo 2020
- May 1st, 2013Category: Culture, Events
- In the modern bid process, every aspect of the Games is documented in advance to help the International Olympic Committee (IOC) come to their decision. Tokyo’s vast 2020 candidature file outlines the Organising Committee’s Olympic vision in great detail, from planne ... » Continue Reading
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- Tokyo’s Olympic Origins 1930-1936
- April 19th, 2013Category: Culture
- Japan has successfully hosted the Olympic Games on three occasions; the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo and the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano. In 1936, the 1940 Olympic Games were also awarded to Tokyo. However, the right to ho ... » Continue Reading
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- Discovering Mikawa House
- April 11th, 2013Category: Culture, Photography, Travel
- Mikawa House sits on the banks of the Shinmachi River near the Prefectural Office in Tokushima, Shikoku. Built in 1928, it is the oldest European-style residence in the prefecture. Thankfully, the building survived the U.S. bombing of the city during the Asia Pacifi ... » Continue Reading
