The 1964 Tokyo Olympics had a profound impact on the capital city and the nation. In the third installment of a five-part series running this month, best-selling author Robert Whiting, who lived in Japan at the time, looks at some of the stars who emerged during the competition.


By all accounts, the 1964 Tokyo Olympics were a resounding success and were impressive for the high level of competition. As expected, the Americans would dominate in what was essentially a contest between the Soviet Union and the United States.