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JOC History at a Glance

Year Month History
1909 May
Professor Jigoro KANO
Professor Jigoro KANO, first President of the JOC, becomes an IOC member at the 10th IOC Session.
1911 July Kano and others found the Japan Amateur Sports Association as Japan's National Olympic Committee (NOC).
1912 July Japan participates in the Olympic Games for the first time at the Games of the V Olympiad in Stockholm with a delegation of four including Kano as Chef de Mission.
1920 August Japan participates in the Games of the VII Olympiad in Antwerp.
1921 March
Mr. Seiichi KISHI
Mr. Seiichi KISHI, who would later donate Kishi Memorial Hall, is named JOC President. Kano is named Honorary President.
1924 January-
February		 The 1st Olympic Winter Games held in Chamonix-Mont Blanc. There were no participants from Japan.
May-July Japan participates in the Games of the VIII Olympiad in Paris
1928 February Japan participates in the 2nd Olympic Winter Games in St. Moritz.
July-
August
Mikio ODA
Japan participates in the Games of the IX Olympiad in Amsterdam. Mikio ODA (triple jump) and Yoshiyuki TSURUTA (swimming; 200m breast stroke) win Japan's first gold medals.
1932 February Japan participates in the 3rd Olympic Winter Games in Lake Placid.
July-
August		 Japan participates in the Games of the X Olympiad in Los Angeles.
1936 February Japan participates in the 4th Olympic Winter Games in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
July The 36th IOC Session names Tokyo as the host city for the Games of the XII Olympiad (1940).
August Japan participates in the Games of the XI Olympiad in Berlin.
December The Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee is formed.
1938 May Professor Jigoro KANO, first President of the JOC, dies aboard ship at age 79 while crossing the Pacific during his return from the 38th IOC session in Cairo.
July The Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee notifies the IOC of its decision to decline to host the Games of the XII Olympiad as well as the 5th Olympic Winter Games, which had been scheduled to take place in Sapporo in 1940.
1946 August The first of the annual summer and fall National Sports Festivals are held.
1947 January The first annual winter National Sports Festival is held.
1948 January-
February		 Japan not invited to participate at the 5th Olympic Winter Games in St. Moritz.
July Japan not invited to participate at the Games of the XIV Olympiad in London.
1951 March Japan participates in the 1st Asian Games in New Delhi.
May The 46th IOC Session elects to invite Japan to participate at the Games of the XV Olympiad in Helsinki.
1952 February Japan participates in the 6th Olympic Winter Games in Oslo.
July-
August		 Japan participates in the Games of the XV Olympiad in Helsinki.
1956 January
Chiharu IGAYA
Japan participates in the 7th Olympic Winter Games in Cortina d'Ampezzo. Chiharu IGAYA, current IOC Member, earns Japan's first Olympic Winter Games medal.
November-
December 		Japan participates in the Games of the XVI Olympiad in Melbourne.
1958  May Both the 3rd Asian Games and the 55th IOC Session are held in Tokyo.
September The Organizing Committee for the Games of the XVIII Olympiad (Tokyo, 1964) is formed.
1959 May The 56th IOC Session in Munich names Tokyo as the host city for the Games of the XVIII Olympiad.
1960 February Japan participates in the 8th Olympic Winter Games in Squaw Valley.
August-
September		 Japan participates in the Games of the XVII Olympiad in Rome.
1964 January-
February		 Japan participates in the 9th Olympic Winter Games in Innsbruck.
October
The Games of the XVIII Olympiad are held in Tokyo
The Games of the XVIII Olympiad are held in Tokyo
The Games of the XVIII Olympiad are held in Tokyo, as well as the 63rd IOC Session and the celebration of the IOC seventieth anniversary.
1966 April The 64th IOC Session names Sapporo as the host city for the 11th Olympic Winter Games in 1972.
July The Sapporo Olympic Organizing Committee is formed.
October 10 October is made Health and Sports Day, a national holiday commemorating opening day of the Tokyo Olympics.
1967 August-
September		 The 5th World University Games are held in Tokyo.
1968 February Japan participates in the 10th Olympic Winter Games in Grenoble.
October Japan participates in the Games of the XIX Olympiad in Mexico City.
1972 February
Yukio KASAYA earns Japan's first Olympic Winter Games gold medal (in the 70m ski jump, an event in which Japanese athletes also take the silver and bronze)
The 11th Olympic Winter Games are held in Sapporo. Yukio KASAYA earns Japan's first Olympic Winter Games gold medal (in the 70m ski jump, an event in which Japanese athletes also take the silver and bronze). The 72nd IOC Session is also held in Sapporo.
August-
September		 Japan participates in the Games of the XX Olympiad in Munich.
1976 February Japan participates in the 12th Olympic Winter Games in Innsbruck.
July-
August		 Japan participates in the Games of the XXI Olympiad in Montreal.
1979 October An IOC Executive Board Meeting is held in Nagoya, where the People's Republic of China is officially admitted to the Olympic Movement.
1980 February Japan participates in the 13th Olympic Winter Games in Lake Placid.
July-
August		 Japan does not participate in the Games of the XXII Olympiad in Moscow.
1984 February Japan participates in the 14th Olympic Winter Games in Sarajevo.
July-
August 		Japan participates in the Games of the XXIII Olympiad in Los Angeles.
1985 August-
September		 The 13th World University Games are held in Kobe.
1986 March The 1st Asian Winter Games are held in Sapporo.
1988 February Japan participates in the 15th Olympic Winter Games in Calgary.
September-
October		 Japan participates in the Games of the XXIV Olympiad in Seoul.
1989 August The Japanese Olympic Committee, with Mr. Yoshiaki TSUTSUMI as its first President, becomes independent of the Japan Amateur Sports Association.
1990 March The 2nd Asian Winter Games are held in Sapporo.
September
The 96th IOC Session is held in Tokyo
The 96th IOC Session is held in Tokyo
The 96th IOC Session is held in Tokyo.
1991 March The 15th Winter World University Games are held in Sapporo
June
The 97th IOC Session names Nagano as the host city for the 18th Olympic Winter Games
The 97th IOC Session names Nagano as the host city for the 18th Olympic Winter Games.
November The Nagano Olympic Organizing Committee is formed.
1992 February Japan participates in the 16th Olympic Winter Games in Albertville.
  The JOC publishes the first issue of "Olympian," its monthly magazine.
July-
August		 Japan participates in the Games of the XXV Olympiad in Barcelona.
1994 February Japan participates in the 17th Olympic Winter Games in Lillehammer.
June The IOC Centennial Congress is held in Paris.
October The 12th Asian Games are held in Hiroshima, as is the 13th Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) General Assembly.
1995 August-
September		 The 18th World University Games are held in Fukuoka.
1996 July-
August		 Japan participates in the Games of the XXVI Olympiad in Atlanta.
June The JOC launches its Internet web site.
1998 February
The 18th Olympic Winter Games are held in Nagano
The 18th Olympic Winter Games are held in Nagano. Japan has its finest performance ever at an Olympic Winter Games, earning ten medals (5 gold, 1 silver and 4 bronze). The 107th IOC Session is held in Nagano.
May The Japanese government announces the Sports Advancement Lottery Law.
July The 3rd Osaka East Asian Games Organizing Committee is formed.
October The 14th East Asian Games Association (EAGA) Council meeting is held in Osaka.
1999 April JOC begins the "My Olympic" radio program.
June Aomori Winter Asian Games Organizing Committee is formed.
October The 33rd GAISF Congress & General Assembly is held in Osaka.
2000 May The JOC member's club "Team Gambare! Japan!" is launched.
October Japan participates in the Games of the XXVII Olympiad in Sydney.
September The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) publishes the Basic Plan for the Promotion of Sports.
2001 March Sports Advancement Lottery (Toto) tickets go on sale.
May The 37th OCA Executive Board Meeting and 20th OCA General Assembly are held in Aomori. The 3rd East Asian Games are held in Osaka, where the16th EAGA Council meetings is also held.
June The 112th IOC Session in Moscow names Beijing as the host city for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad.
November The 4th IOC World Conference on Sport and the Environment is held in Nagano.
2002 February Japan participates in the 19th Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City.
September Japan participates in the 14th Asian Games in Busan.
2003 January Japan participates in the 21st Winter Universiade in Tarvisio.
February Japan participates in the 5th Winter Asian Games in Aomori.
April Establishment of the Japan Sports Arbitration Agency (JSAA)
2004 13-29 August Japan participates in the Games of the 28th Olympiad (Athens).
A taekwondo athlete is permitted to compete as an independent competitor due to an internal feud in Japanese taekwondo organizations.
October: An event to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games is held.
2005 12-22 January Japan participates in the 22nd Winter Universiade (Innsbruck).
11-21 August Japan participates in the 23rd Summer Universiade (Izmir).
29 October-6 November Japan participates in the 4th East Asian Games (Macau).
2006 10-26 February Japan participates in the 20th Olympic Winter Games (Torino).
30 August Tokyo nominated by the National Selection Commission as candidate to host the Games of the 31st Olympiad.
18 October IOC president Jacques Rogge visits Japan.
21 October Torch relay for the 15th Asian Games (Doha) held in Hiroshima.
22 November Tokyo 2016 Olympic Games Bid Committee is established.
1-15 December Japan participates in the 15th Asian Games (Doha).
2007 17-27 January Japan participates in the 23rd Winter Universiade (Torino).
28 January-4 February Japan participates in the 6th Winter Asian Games (Changchun).
27 February Tokyo 2016 Olympic Games Bid Committee granted corporate (NPO) status.
7 June Tokyos bid for the 2016 Olympic Games officially lodged.
16-18 June Japan participates in the OCA East Asia Regional Forum (Tokyo).
8-18 August Japan participates in the 24th Summer Universiade (Bangkok).