I wasn’t alive in 1964 when Tokyo hosted the Olympics, the first summer games held in Asia, but when I watched Kon Ichikawa’s, Tokyo Olympiad, documenting the historic event, I felt called back to something deeply familiar. Not something I experience every day, but occasionally like when I’m wandering down a small alley, combing the used book shops of Jinbochō. The city’s buildings were lower to the ground, life was lived on the street level and the chaos was so accessible.
Last Friday, July 24th, was slated to be the first day of the 2020 Olympic Games. It passed without much fanfare. In my own way, I celebrated the day by watching Ichikawa’s documentary which beautifully captured both the dramatic landscapes of Japan and the intimate moments between spectators, athletes, and even volunteers.
While the film is about the Olympics, and competition plays a major role in the Games, Ichikawa artfully avoided grounding his narrative in that. Instead, focusing on the beauty of the human form and giving as much screen time to the preparations made prior to competing as the main events.
I also found the opening sequence especially compelling. The scene transitions from a rising sun to a wrecking ball, making me think about the country rising from the destruction and devastation of WW2. It also reminded me of all the construction I’ve seen around the city these past five years as the country prepared to welcome guests. And even today, Japan is still recovering from disasters, but these were not caused by war, but natural disasters. The torch relay for the 2020 Games was themed around 'recovery and hope', making stops in areas recently impacted by disasters like Fukushima where an earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disaster wreaked havoc on the community in 2011, and Kumamoto, with a major earthquake and heavy rains in 2016, among others.
It’s interesting to see how the themes for the Games could be so similar, but how different the city looks compared to 1964. One scene in the film pans over the Olympic Village. That same site is now a lush green park, Yoyogi Koen. To think, in 50+ years that site has transitioned from houses for the American Occupational forces, to homes for Olympic athletes from around the world, to a beautiful green oasis in a bustling metropolitan city. I can only imagine how much the city will change in the next 50 years!
For anyone looking to feel inspired about the possibility of global travel, global cooperation, and future Olympic Games, I highly recommend watching. The film is currently available on Criterion, iTunes, and YouTube.
Ariel view of Washington Heights, which was to become the Olympic Village for the 1964 Olympics.
Fountain in Yoyogi Park, the previous location of Washington Heights.
On a personal note, I’ve been staying put here in Tokyo, in my new-found time, I went back to language school. It’s been incredibly fun (and challenging) to be back in the classroom environment and I’m so grateful for the time to reinvest in my skills. My husband says he can already see a difference, but it’s only been a month, and I think he is a little biased. But the positive reinforcement keeps my desire to learn strong.
The other thing I’ve been working on is a documentary series about the unsung heroes of Japan’s food scene, the farmers! It’s still in the early stages, but as I meet and talk with these cultivators of Japan’s most delicious produce, I’m so curious to hear your questions for them? Feel free to send them my way and I’ll work them into our interviews.
Next month we’ll be back with another interview, hope you are enjoying those as much as I am!