Japan’s Sporting Goods Industry and the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games： An Analysis of the Trends in Manufacturing, Wholesale, and Retail Based on the Japan Sporting Goods News (Nihon Undogu Shinpo)

Japan’s sporting goods industry developed in earnest because of the increased demand triggered by the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games. This study clarifies trends in the sporting goods industry from the time of the bidding campaign for the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games to its hosting, primarily focusing on the cooperative efforts of three industry associations： the manufacturers, the wholesalers, and the retailers. Analysis of articles in the Japan Sporting Goods News (Nihon Undogu Shinpo) from 1948, when the first issue was published, to 1964, when the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games were held, led to the following findings. In response to the upcoming 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games, three trade associations in the sporting goods industry joined forces to establish the Japan Sporting Goods Suppliers Association (JSGSA). The JSGSA’s main goals were to hold a nationwide sale and to set up stalls in the Olympic Village. The national sale was intended to increase people’s interest in sports in Japan, and the Olympic Village stalls were intended to promote Japanese sporting goods to the rest of the world. However, the three trade associations had a difficult time uniting, owing to their differing positions and agendas in establishing the JSGSA. When it was decided that most of the equipment for the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games would be made in Japan, the wholesalers took the lead in establishing the JSGSA to utilize the opportunity to promote Japanese sporting goods, both domestically and internationally.