１９６４年、初めて東京でオリンピックが開かれました。
その時の日本選手の活躍は目ざまましく、金、銀、銅、合わせて２９個のメタルを獲得しました。
なかでも、東洋の魔女とも言はれた女子バレーや、柔道の中谷選手等、私達の記憶に残る選手
もいます。
この時、日本にオリンピックを招致する為に私財をなげうって労力を尽くしたのは、アメリカ育ちの
日系２世、和田フレッド勇さんという青果店を営む一民間人でした。
その由来は、１０４９年 第２時世界大戦直後、アムステルダムのオリンピックの際、日本人選手団は、現地の全ての施設で宿泊をことわられたので、和田さんご夫婦が募集に応じて宿泊、食事
等、全てのお世話を引き受けました。
その縁で、日本政府の役人から、依頼されての事でした。
"The first person to invite the Olympic Game to Tokyo "
After world war 2, in 1949 Olympic Game took place at Amsterdum
Then, The chairman of Japanese Swimming Joint association Mr. Tabata got the permission from General MacArthur for Japan to join the Olympic.
But Japan was rejected to stay in any hotels or facilities in
Amsterudum.
Then a grocery Wada Offered his house and meals during the Olympic Game, his wife helped him, too.
Actually, he was a 2nd Japanese brought up in U.S.
At the Game Japanese players got 5 gold metals, especially swimmer Furuhasi was called as a flying fish, and they got 2 siver metals,1 copper metal, moreover, they set up 4 world records.
As the result, foreign countries changed their views to Japanese people, at least they’ve never looked down on, since then.
Later, Japan officials wanted to invite the Olympic Game to Tokyo
and one of them privately asked Wada to get approval votes from I.O.C in U.S.
He went around the 10 nations in Central America for 40 days to get their approval at his own expense.
As the result Japan got 34 votes out of 58 of I.O.C.
In 1964 at the first Olympic Game in Tokyo, Japan got 16 gold metals, 5 silver metals and 8 copper metals.
We still remember that women’s volleyball team and Nakatani in judou were strong.
Wonderful to say, it was the 3rd record of the participating nations.
I thank to Mr. Wada, we could get a pride back to ourselves.
