Japan (JPN)

Japan first competed at the 1912 Olympic Games, its delegation and Olympic Committee led by Dr. Jigoro Kano, the founder of judo. Japan has since failed to compete only at the Games of 1948, when, as an aggressor nation in World War II, it was not invited, and 1980, when it chose to boycott the Moscow Olympics. At the Olympic Winter Games, Japan first competed in 1928 and has since missed only 1948 when it also was not invited. Japan was the dominant country in men’s gymnastics from 1956 until the mid-1980s. In addition, at times it has been the top country in swimming and one of the top in wrestling and weightlifting. Its top Olympic medals winners have been male gymnasts, led by Takashi Ono with 13, Sawao Kato with 12, and Akinori Nakayama with 10.

Through 2018, Japan has won 499 Olympic medals (156 gold medals), of which 58 (14 gold) have come at the Olympic Winter Games. Japan hosted the Games of the XVIIIth Olympiad in Tokyo in 1964, the 11th Olympic Winter Games in Sapporo in 1972, and the 18th Olympic Winter Games in Nagano in 1998. Prior to the outbreak of hostilities, Japan was also scheduled to host both editions of the 1940 Olympics; the Olympic Winter Games were scheduled for Sapporo, and the Games of the XIIth Olympiad were scheduled for Tokyo. Tokyo was scheduled to host the 2020 Olympic Games, but those Games were postponed to 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 1964 the Olympic Committee of Japan was awarded with the Count Alberto Bonacossa Trophy and in 1991 it was awarded with the Olympic Cup.