Japan at the 1920 Summer Olympics

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Japan at the Olympic Games

Flag of Japan
IOC code  JPN
NOC Japanese Olympic Committee
Website www.joc.or.jp (Japanese)
At the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp
Competitors 15 in 4 sports
Medals
Rank: 17
Gold
0
Silver
2
Bronze
0
Total
2
Olympic history (summary)
Summer Games
Winter Games

Japan competed at the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium.

Background

Following Japan’s poor showing during its Olympic debut at the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden, Japan planned for increased participation and the discipline of its athletes in the 1916 Summer Olympics planned for Berlin, Germany (which was subsequently cancelled by World War I. Japan also expanded its participation in international sporting events, by competing in the Far Eastern Games held in Manila in 1913, Shanghai in 1915, Tokyo in 1917 and Manila in 1919. By the time of the 1920 Olympics, Japan was able to field a fifteen-man team. Although most of its track-and-field runners and swimmers failed to pass the initial heats, Japan did considerably better in tennis, securing its first Olympic medals. However, the Japan Amateur Athletic Association, which sponsored the team, grossly underestimated the costs of journey, and was unable to pay for the team’s return from Belgium. Local representatives of the Mitsubishi and Mitsui zaibatsu agreed to pay the $15,000 necessary for the stranded team to come home, but the embarrassment was so great that the Japanese government agreed to provide subsidiaries for future Olympic participation.[1]

Medalists

Medal Name Sport Event
 Silver Ichiya Kumagae Tennis Men's Singles
 Silver Seiichiro Kashio and Ichiya Kumagae Tennis Men's Doubles

Aquatics

Diving

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A single diver represented Japan in 1920. It was the nation's debut in the sport. Masaren Uchida was unable to advance past the first round of the plain high diving competition.

Men

Ranks given are within the semifinal group.

Diver Event Semifinals Final
Points Score Rank Points Score Rank
Masaren Uchida Plain high dive 40 94.0 8 Did not advance

Swimming

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Two swimmers, both men, represented Japan in 1920. It was the nation's debut in the sport. Neither of the swimmers advanced to the finals.

Ranks given are within the heat.

Men
Swimmer Event Quarterfinals Semifinals Final
Result Rank Result Rank Result Rank
Kenkichi Saito 100 m free Unknown 6 Did not advance
400 m free 6:16.8 2 Q Did not finish
Masaren Uchida 100 m free Unknown 5 Did not advance
400 m free 6:40.0 3 Did not advance

Athletics

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11 athletes represented Japan in 1920. It was the nation's second appearance in athletics, having competed in the sport both times Japan had appeared at the Olympics. Japan continued to seek its first medals in the sport unsuccessfully, with a 12th-place finish in the decathlon the best result of the Games for Japanese athletes.

Ranks given are within the heat.

Athlete Event Heats Quarterfinals Semifinals Final
Result Rank Result Rank Result Rank Result Rank
Saburo Hasumi 800 m N/A Unknown 6 Did not advance
1500 m N/A Unknown 6 Did not advance
Ichiro Kaga 100 m Unknown 4 Did not advance
200 m Unknown 4 Did not advance
Shizo Kanakuri Marathon N/A 2:48:45.4 16
Hiroshi Masuda Pentathlon N/A Did not finish
Yahei Miura Marathon N/A 2:59:37.0 24
Zensaku Motegi 10000 m N/A Unknown 12 Did not advance
Marathon N/A 2:51:09.4 20
Gensabulo Noguchi Decathlon N/A 3668.630 12
Tomeichi Oura 5000 m N/A Unknown 6 Did not advance
Kunosuke Sano 5000 m N/A Unknown 7 Did not advance
10000 m N/A Unknown 8 Did not advance
Shinichi Yamaoka 100 m Unknown 4 Did not advance
200 m 23.9 4 Did not advance
Kenzo Yashima Marathon N/A 2:57:02.0 21

Tennis

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Two tennis players, both men, competed for Japan in 1920. It was the nation's debut in the sport. Kumagae took the men's singles silver medal, and the pair also took silver in the men's doubles. The two would have faced each other in the quarterfinals of the singles tournament had Kashio advanced that far, so could not have won any more than the two medals they did win.

Player Event Round of 64 Round of 32 Round of 16 Quarterfinals Semifinals Finals Rank
Opposition
Score
Opposition
Score
Opposition
Score
Opposition
Score
Opposition
Score
Opposition
Score
Seiichiro Kashio Men's singles Bye  Tegner (DEN)
W 6–3, 6–1, 6–2
22x20px Dodd (RSA)
L 6–3, 4–6, 6–2, 3–6, 6–1
Did not advance 9
Ichiya Kumagae Men's singles 22x20px Alonso (ESP)
W 7–5, 6–3, 6–3
 de Laveleye (BEL)
W 6–0, 6–1, 6–0
 Lammens (BEL)
W 7–5, 6–1, 6–4
22x20px Dodd (RSA)
W 7–5, 6–1, 6–1
22x20px Winslow (RSA)
W 6–2, 6–2, 6–2
22x20px Raymond (RSA)
L 5–7, 6–4, 7–5, 6–4
2nd
Seiichiro Kashio
Ichiya Kumagae
Men's doubles N/A Bye  Lammens & Washer (BEL)
W 6–1, 6–4, 6–4
22x20px Norton & Raymond (RSA)
W 6–3, 6–2, 4–6, 6–3
 Blanchy & Brugnon (FRA)
W 6–4, 4–6, 6–3, 6–1
 Turnbull & Woosnam (GBR)
L 6–2, 5–7, 7–5, 7–5
2nd

References

  1. Guttman, Allen. Japanese Sports: A History (University of Hawaii Press, 2001), p. 119-120.