Title: Japan at the Olympics Content: Japan at the Olympics is a history which includes 41 games in 22 countries and 3,000+ athletes.SportsReference.com (SR/Olympics), "Japan" ; retrieved 2012-7-28. Since 1912, athletes of Japan have been part of the "Olympic Movement".Olympics.org, "Factsheet: The Olympic Movement"; retrieved 2012-7-28. The International Olympic Committee's official abbreviation for Japan is JPN. "Official abbreviations" at The Games of the XVIII Olympiad, Tokyo, 1964, [p. 9 of 409 PDF]; retrieved 2012-8-16. ==History== The Japanese National Olympic Committee was formed in 1911. It was recognized by the International Olympic Committee in 1912.Olympic.org, Japan; retrieved 2012-7-28. Its first president was Kanō Jigorō.Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC), "JOC History at a Glance"; retrieved 2012-7-26. Japan's team first competed at the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm. Japan was not invited to the 1948 Games after World War II; and Japan boycotted of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. In support of the team at the 2012 Summer Olympics, each of the 518 athletes were given hand-carved good luck charm made by schoolchildren from tsunami-hit areas in Tōhoku. These special "medals" were made from driftwood. There were messages from the children on the ribbons which were attached. "Japanese Olympians receive good-luck medals handcrafted by children from tsunami-hit areas," Washington Post (US). July 23, 2012; retrieved 2012-7-31. ==Medalists== Japanese tennis players Ichiya KumagaeSR/Olympics, "Ichiya Kumagae" ; retrieved 2012-7-27. and Seiichiro KashioSR/Olympics, "Seiichiro Kashio" ; retrieved 2012-7-27. were the first Japanese athletes to win medals in summer sport. They won silver medals in the 1920 Summer Olympics.SR/Olympics, "Japan at the 1920 Antwerpen Summer Games" ; retrieved 2012-7-20. The first Japanese medal in a winter sport was in 1956SR/Olympics, "Japan at the 1956 Cortina d'Ampezzo Winter Games" ; retrieved 2012-7-20. when Chiharu Igaya earned a silver medal for Alpine skiing.SR/Olympics, Igaya" ; retrieved 2012-7-23. ===Summer Games=== During the course of 20 summer games, Japanese athletes have won 350+ medals, "Japan, London 2012 Olympics," Telegraph (UK); retrieved 2012-7-20. with the most gold medals won in judo. In the 1928 games in Amsterdam, Japan's first gold medals in summer sports were won by Mikio Oda in the triple jump and by Yoshiyuki Tsuruta in swimming.  ===Notable Olympians=== Japanese Olympic greats include * Naoko Takahashi, marathon gold medal in 2000 * Tamara Ryoka, judoka gold medals in 2000 and 2004 * Sawao Kato, gymnast gold medals in 1968, 1972 and 1976 * Akinori Nakayama, gymnast gold medals in 1968 and 1972 The youngest Japanese competitor was Etsuko Inada (12 years, 4 days) in the 1936 Winter Olympics. The oldest Japanese Olympian is Hiroshi Hoketsu (67 years, 139 days) in the 2008 Summer Games.SR/Olympics, "Japan" ; retrieved 2012-7-20. ==Host country== The 1940 Summer Olympics and the 1940 Winter Olympics were planned for Japan, but the organizers withdrew in 1938 because of the Second Sino-Japanese War.Organizing Committee of the XIIth Olympiad. (1940). Report of the Organizing Committee on Its Work for the XIIth Olympic Games of 1940 in Tokyo Until the Relinquishment, p. 177 [201 of 207 PDF]; retrieved 2012-7-25. These games were later cancelled because of World War II. Japan was the host country three times, including * 1964 Summer Olympics * 1972 Winter Olympics * 1998 Winter Olympics ==Related pages== * Sports in Japan * List of IOC country codes * Japan national football team * Japan women's national football team