Celebrating Tokyo's rich Olympic legacy in this fascinating museum which promotes peace, resilience, friendship and the Olympic values.
In the years leading up to the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Tokyo was abuzz with anticipation. From 2013 onwards, the city seized the opportunity to reinvent itself, embarking on a series of ambitious architectural, cultural, and logistical projects. These initiatives were crafted to captivate visitors and showcase Tokyo’s unique blend of ancient heritage and cutting-edge innovation.
Under the inspiring theme 'Be better, together – For the planet and the people,' the Tokyo Games highlighted sustainability. The event was marked by a wave of exciting renovations and regeneration efforts, designed to provide state-of-the-art venues and facilities for athletes and visitors alike.
However, for the second time in history, Tokyo was faced with the unthinkable, a global situation that derailed all their best laid plans.
The Tokyo Olympic Museum serves as a vital cultural and historical repository, commemorating the resilience, unity, and perseverance displayed by athletes and organisers, of the biggest sporting event affected by the global Covid pandemic.
Operated by the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC), the museum preserves the legacy of the 2020 Games (held in 2021 due to the pandemic), showcasing the stories, achievements, and technological innovations that defined the event.
The immersive exhibits offer a captivating journey through the history of the Olympic Movement and Japan’s role in the Games. Guests have the chance to engage closely with Olympic memorabilia and even try their hand at various Olympic sports.
The exhibition spans far beyond the Summer 2020 Games, encompassing Tokyo's 1964 Olympics, the Winter Games held in Sapporo in 1972 and Nagano in 1998, and even the Tokyo Summer Games of 1940—the Games that never took place.
Even if you don’t consider yourself a sports enthusiast, this engaging museum provides invaluable inspiration and insight into the Olympic spirit. It offers a deeper understanding of the Games’ impact on global unity and sportsmanship. A visit to this museum is therefore highly recommended.
The brand history
The International Olympic Committee (IOC), as the governing body of the Olympic movement, plays a crucial role in overseeing the organisation and execution of the Olympic Games, ensuring they uphold the principles of excellence, friendship, and respect. The IOC's iconic Olympic rings branding represents the union of the five inhabited continents and the peaceful meeting of athletes from around the world.
In 2006, in Lausanne, Switzerland, the IOC set up the Olympic Museums Network (OMN), with the aim of promoting the values of sport and Olympism. There are currently 34 Olympic Museums around the world, with 3 in Japan alone, two of which we have visited. The OMN members share information on museum design best practice and managing acquisitions, to deliver immersive and accessible museum environments.
The museums offer a chance to highlight the broader benefits of hosting the Games for the local community. Despite the significant investment, the modern Olympic Games often serve as loss leaders for their host cities. The Tokyo Games, for instance, incurred a staggering cost of $13 billion (1.4 trillion Japanese yen)—twice the amount forecasted in 2013 when Tokyo was awarded the hosting rights. Contributing factors included the loss of ticket sales and reduced advertising revenue due to pandemic restrictions, as well as fluctuations in exchange rates.
Yet, the Olympics frequently catalyse substantial positive transformations within their host cities. For instance, the 1964 Tokyo Games, set against the backdrop of rapid post-war economic growth, spurred the construction of the Shinkansen, Japan’s first bullet train, as well as numerous new highways. The Games also marked a technological milestone as the first to be televised by satellite and featured the debut of computers for timing and scoring.
When Tokyo bid for the 2020 Games, dubbed the “Recovery Olympics” in the wake of a devastating earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disaster, few could have anticipated the additional hurdles ahead. The mere fact that the Olympics took place stands as a testament to the resilience and dedication of all involved in bringing the Tokyo Games to fruition.
The Visitor Experience
Opened in September 2019, the Japan Olympic Museum sits across the road from Japan's National Stadium in Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo. Designed by Kengo Kuma, the National Stadium hosted the opening and closing ceremonies as well as the athletics events for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2021.
Now used as a venue for national football and rugby matches, we could hear energetic fans from within the stadium as we walked past. As there was a match on, we could not explore the stadium tour, where visitors can walk the track field, see the torch and more. We'll save that for our next visit.
The Japan Sport Olympic Square building, which houses the museum, was originally built as an administration building for the 2020 games. Now the home of the Japanese Olympic Committee, the museum fills the lower two floors of the building. The surrounding land was developed as Tokyo Olympic Park and now features playgrounds, walkways, coffee shops and restaurants. It was a lovely way to while away an hour before our visit.
In the plaza visitors will find scale models of Olympic flames for each of the games held in Japan.
Even the pavement has fun facts on it, such as the distance Japan's Mikio Oda leapt to, to win the men's triple jump in the Amsterdam games in 1928, becoming Japan's first-ever Olympic gold medalist.
Floor 2
The museum is divided into three sections. Upon arrival, visitors ascend to the second-floor Exhibition Area, past the bust of Pierre de Coubertin, co-founder of the International Olympic Committee, and its second president, known as the father of the modern Olympic Games.
The exhibition area offers free Wi-Fi and a complimentary audio guide, with all displays featuring text in both English and Japanese.
Guests can relive iconic Olympic moments through an immersive audio-visual experience and interactive games. Graphic design enthusiasts will appreciate the collection of Olympic posters, brochures, and emblematic designs.
The exhibition begins with some historical content on the ancient Olympics.
There are interactive items to give added context.
The exhibition moves on to the history of the modern Olympic Games.
On the wall hangs a flag used in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.
We discovered that the iconic five-ring emblem, conceived by Pierre de Coubertin in 1913, actually represents a colour from each of the participating nations' flags from the 1912 Games. Touchscreens offered further insights into the design, while display cases showcased original drafts of the logo.
Japan's first participation at the Olympic games was in July 1912 at the 5th Olympic Games in Stockholm.
The wall graphic illustrates how the number of participating countries has fluctuated over the years.
One of the highlights in this gallery are the Olympic torches from previous Summer and Winter games.
We had fun checking out the different designs.
The historical information is peppered with artefacts, and never overwhelming. There's something here for everyone, even those not from Japan.
The displays also highlight how the games have changed over the years to become more inclusive.
There is also information on how Tokyo and the organising committee had to adapt to host the postponed 2020 games.
Graphic design fans will enjoy the displays on how the sport pictograms have been interpreted by different host countries throughout the years.
Guests move onto a section dedicated to Japan's hosting and participation in previous Olympic games. Japan hosted the Olympic summer games in 1964 in Tokyo, and the Winter Olympics in Sapporo in 1972 and Nagano in 1998.
Displays include artefacts from the 1972 Sapporo Games, the museum for which we visited later in our trip.
Nagano also has an Olympic museum.
There are many items from the 2020 games too.
The different Olympic medals showcase how design can change over the years. Sapporo's is very 1970's.
“Maboroshi no Orinpikku” — “The Olympics that never were.”
A personal highlight was discovering the intriguing exhibit on the 1940 Olympic Games, originally slated to be hosted in Japan—a chapter we were previously unfamiliar with. At that time, the Summer and Winter Games were held in the same year, though not always in the same country. The 1940 Winter Games were scheduled for February in Sapporo but were cancelled due to World War II. The Summer Games, planned for September in Tokyo, were postponed because of the Sino-Japanese War that erupted in July 1937. They were set to be relocated to Helsinki, Finland, but were ultimately cancelled in 1940 as the war intensified. It wasn’t until the 1948 London Games that the Olympics resumed as an international event.
1940 was to be a gala year for Japan. The summer games would coincide with plans to commemorate the 2,600th anniversary of the ascension of Jimmu, first emperor of the Yamato Dynasty, and the country even considered hosting the 1940 world exposition. Land was purchased, plans drawn up and venues constructed. Significant economic investment was made on infrastructure projects, such as transportation, sanitation and the building of hotels.
When the Japanese government made the decision to forego both the games in 1938, the country took a huge reputational and financial hit. However, it should also be remembered that there was a raft of athletes that missed their opportunity to showcase their talents in those missing Olympics, and sadly far too many that perished in conflict.
Want to be an athlete?
If you want to try you hand at a few sports then step up and test yourself against Olympic athletes. This fun section of the museum has something for all ages.
And if you are really lucky, you could win a medal, or at least try on a few replicas for fun.
Paralympics
Don't miss the gallery on the advancements made in the technology used by Paralympic athletes.
Floor 1
In the Welcome Area you’ll find the museum café, gift shop and the Olympic Studies Centre.
The History of Official Uniforms Exhibition featured all of the Team Japan's uniforms and kit from the eight Summer Games and nine Winter Games since 1991, including items for the Paris 2024 games. It's a fun exhibit for fashion students and visitors alike.
There's even a stamp station. For those that don't know, many of Japan's attractions, and most of their train stations, have stamps that visitors can collect. Just bring a book with you, or pick one up in the fabulous Japanese stationery stores. You'll enjoy a fun filled treasure hunt across the country.
In conclusion
The museum beautifully encapsulates the fusion of sport, culture, and education that lies at the heart of the Olympic movement. It presents high-quality information in an engaging and entertaining manner. We left with a profound understanding and appreciation of the Olympic Games and the Olympic spirit, particularly resonant in this Olympic year. Each of us carries personal memories of the Olympics and what they signify. The exhibits evoked a deep emotional response, allowing us to reminisce through a rich array of history, iconography, medals, torches, mascots, and posters. The hands-on interaction with the displays enhanced the experience, promoting both fun and inclusivity.
In true Japanese fashion, the museum offers an extensive range of content for a very modest entrance fee, complemented by helpful and courteous staff.
Our visit was so unexpectedly enjoyable that we decided to explore the Olympic Museum in Sapporo as well, and we are already planning a visit to the main Olympic Museum in Switzerland next year.
How long was the visit?
Our visit lasted over 2 hours.
How much are tickets?
We paid for our tickets and this was not part of any advertising.
Adult tickets are just 500 yen and high school age children or younger are free. You do not need to book in advance.
Opening times
It's always worth checking with the Museum for their current opening times, as they can vary.
When we visited they were open 6 days a week from 10 am to 5 pm (final entry 4:30 p.m.) and closed on Mondays, like a lot was in Japan.
Getting here:
The Japan Olympic Museum is a 5 minute walk from Exit 3 of Gaienmae Station on the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line, a 10 minute walk from Exit A2 of Kokuritsu-kyogijo Station on the Toei Oedo Line, and a 12 minute walk from Sendagaya or Shinanomachi Stations on the JR Chuo-Sobu Line (express trains do not stop here). There are no parking spots available so coming by public transportation is strongly recommended.
We used Google Maps to navigate our trip from our hotel to the museum. (Top Tip - get yourself an E Sim for your phone, an invaluable tool that saved us so much money and gave us nearly unlimited data)
Address
4-2 Kasumigaoka-machi, Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo 160-0013
Website: Japan Olympic Museum
Where we stayed
We were based in Ginza for the first 5 days of a 3 week trip around Japan.
We stayed at the Daiwa Roynet Ginza Premier in a Superior Double room, booked via Booking.com. The hotel has been our Tokyo base before and we enjoy the quiet location, steps away from excellent shopping and restaurants.
What else is there to see close by:
Tokyo has so many attractions, it's hard to choose just a few. These are just some that were close to the Olympic Museum.
Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden is less than 20 minutes from the Olympic museum. One of the city's largest and most popular parks, it is particularly pretty in spring when the cherry blossom is out, but we can recommend a visit for autumn colours in November too.
Meiji Jingu shrine is worth a visit any time of year. Just a 25 minute walk from the Olympic Museum, the Shinto shrine is particularly popular on a weekend, when if you're lucky, like we have been every time we have visited, you might get to see a traditional Japanese wedding. The grounds and architecture are a welcome break from the busy streets of the city.
The National Art Centre is just 20 minutes by local transport from the museum. This free to enter gallery, housed in an impressive architectural building, does not have a permanent collection. Instead, it is a large venue for changing art exhibitions.
20 minutes by local transport will get you to the heart of Shibuya and the famous Shibuya Scramble Crossing. Upwards of 1000 people cross at one time and it is one of the most photographed locations in Tokyo, surrounded by the bright lights and bustle of shops and restaurants.
Visited: May 2024
Photographs: ©Julie White unless noted otherwise.
Disclaimer - The views and opinions expressed are solely my own. I paid for the tours in full and any comments reflect my personal experiences on that day. Please drink responsibly. Please visit and garner your own thoughts and feel free to research the brand and the visitor centre in question.
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