The Olympians has been a labor of love for exactly two years. It is my sketchbook as I prepare for the mural masterpiece, a book on the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.

While my book’s focus is on the XVIII Tokyo Olympiad, I use my blog as an excuse to write about anything even remotely related to these areas: the Tokyo Olympics, the Olympics overall, Japan, and sports in general. In other words, I think of my blog as therapy for a restlessly curious mind.

How else could I go 730 straight days without missing a post?

Enjoy!

Japan 1964

• Opening Ceremonies at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics: Getting in by Hook or by Crook
• Siberian POW and Pop Singer Minami Haruo and the Song of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics
• A Visit With a Japanese Family in 1964 Part 1: East meets West, but Don’t Worry – They’re Westernized!
• Olympic Shoplifters at the 1964 Olympics: Not Cool
• Tokyo Melody: The German Tune That Brought the 1964 Tokyo Olympics Home to Brits
• The “Pre-Olympics”, AKA 1963 Tokyo International Sports Week Part 3: Hal and Olga Connolly Accept A Most Gracious Invitation

 

Tokyo 2020

• The Pressure is On: With Fabled Golf Clubs Opening Up to Women, Will the Kasumigaseki Country Club Follow?
• Airbnb Japan to Help Beat the Occupancy Crunch Today and in 2020: Finding a Friendly Room in Japan
• Running a Marathon in August in Tokyo: Hot Town! Summer in the City! Back of My Neck Getting Dirty and Gritty!
• The Sports Marketing Giant Dentsu: No Longer Flying Under the Radar
• Tokyo 2020 Venues Get Thumbs Up from NOCs: Take a Look at the Heritage and Tokyo Bay Area Zones

 

Random Rambles

• How New York City Won the Olympics Part 1: A Vision Worthy of the Greatest City in the World (Yes, I’m a New Yorker)
• The Silent Shame Part 5: The Cruel Culture of Gymnastics
• Keiko Fukuda and The White Stripe in the Black Belt: A Symbol of Gender Discrimination in Judo Fades to Black
• Muhammad Ali Jr. and Bob Hayes Connected by the Politics of Fear
• The Quest to Break the 2-hour Marathon: Wilson Kipsang Comes Close at the Tokyo Marathon (But Not Really)
• Another Way to Cheat in Cycling: Hidden Motors
• Sleep: Better than Drugs
• Running Barefoot: The Pros and the Cons
• Drones: Revolutionizing Sports Television Coverage
• New Year’s Resolutions: It’s Not Just About Inspiration, It’s About Breaking Big Goals into Small Goals