1964  The Greatest Year in the Histo..., Roy Tomizawa
1964  The Greatest Year in the Histo..., Roy Tomizawa
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1964 - The Greatest Year in the History of Japan
How the Tokyo Olympics Symbolized Japan’s Miraculous Rise from the Ashes

Author: Roy Tomizawa

Narrator: David Shih

Unabridged: 5 hr 11 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 03/24/2020


Synopsis

Japan was a physical and psychological wasteland at the end of World War II. With over three million dead, thirty-nine percent of city populations homeless, forty percent of all urban areas flattened, eighty percent of all ships destroyed, and thirty-three percent of all industrial machine tools rendered inoperable, the country was devastated and demoralized.

And yet, just nineteen years later, Japan stood proud—modern, peace-loving, and open—welcoming the world as the host of the 1964 Olympics, the largest global event of its time.

In 1964—The Greatest Year in the History of Japan, Roy Tomizawa chronicles how Japan rose from the rubble to embark on the greatest Asian economic miracle of the twentieth-century. He shares stories from the 1964 Olympics that created a level of alignment and national pride never before seen in Japan, leaving an indelible mark in the psyche of the Japanese for generations.

About Roy Tomizawa

Roy Tomizawa celebrated his first birthday on the opening day of the 1964 Olympics. His father worked with the NBC News crew that broadcast those games to homes in the United States. As far back as he can remember, Roy has been a fan of the Olympics. A year after Tokyo was awarded the 2020 Olympics, Roy went searching for an English-language book that chronicled the 1964 Olympics-but he couldn't find one. As a former print journalist, Roy decided to combine his love of the Olympics and his knack for writing and chronicle the event that symbolized the determination of the Japanese to survive and thrive after World War II.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Maria on July 04, 2020

The 1964 Tokyo Olympics were less than 20 years after the devastating end of World War II. Japan had been flattened, and they rebuilt their country and its economy. Why I started this book: I'm currently reading two hefty books, one about racism and one about the US Constitution... okay two books abo......more

Goodreads review by Cordelicacy on October 27, 2021

This is an easy, interesting read. Sports, politics, and national identify are tightly interwoven, especially when it comes to the Olympics. The 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games started on October 10, 1964. They were held amid the Cold War and only 19 years after two atomic bombs had been dropped on Japan.......more

Goodreads review by Mike on December 01, 2023

This is a very interesting book about the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. It was the first Olympics game held in Asia. The book tells the story of the pride of the Japanese nation in holding the event and some of their inspirational athletes, including the Japanese women's volleyball team. It also talks about......more

Goodreads review by Shawn on September 20, 2020

A fun read from a seemingly random series of events link together by the 1964 Olympics.......more