When people think of the Olympics in Tokyo, the successful and visually stunning 1964 and 2020 Games often come to mind. However, few remember that Tokyo was originally set to host the Summer Olympics much earlier — in 1940. This was to be the first time the Games would be held in Asia. But history had other plans.
The Road to Tokyo: A Symbol of Modern Asia
In the early 1930s, Japan was emerging as a modern industrial power and sought to showcase its development on the world stage. Hosting the Olympic Games was seen as a golden opportunity for international recognition. In 1936, during the Berlin Games — themselves steeped in political symbolism — Tokyo was awarded the 1940 Summer Olympics, beating out competing bids from cities like Helsinki and Rome.
Tokyo's selection marked a historic shift: for the first time, the Olympic Games would take place outside of Europe and North America. It was a bold statement that Asia, and particularly Japan, had arrived as a global force in culture, technology, and sport.
A Shadow of War
Unfortunately, the idealism behind the Olympic spirit soon clashed with geopolitical realities. In 1937, Japan launched a full-scale invasion of China, escalating the Second Sino-Japanese War. As the conflict intensified, criticism from the international community mounted. Prominent figures in the Olympic movement began questioning whether Japan should remain the host.
Despite public reassurances from Japanese officials, the war effort took precedence over Olympic preparations. Resources were diverted to the military, and tensions grew between Japan and the International Olympic Committee (IOC). In July 1938, facing both international pressure and internal strain, Japan relinquished its right to host the Games.
A Game of Musical Chairs
After Japan's withdrawal, the IOC awarded the Games to Helsinki, Finland — the runner-up in the original bidding process. But history intervened again. With World War II erupting in Europe in 1939, the Helsinki Games were also cancelled. The Olympic flame was extinguished, and there would be no Summer or Winter Games in 1940.
In fact, both the 1940 and 1944 Olympics were casualties of war, with the Games only resuming in London in 1948.
Legacy of the Lost Games
Though the 1940 Olympics never occurred, their legacy lived on in surprising ways. Japan's desire to host an Olympics was not forgotten. In 1964, Tokyo finally got its chance — and delivered a Games that symbolized peace, recovery, and the dawn of a new era for Japan and Asia.
The 1940 saga also serves as a reminder of how fragile international cooperation can be in times of conflict, and how deeply political events can shape even the most apolitical of pursuits — sport.
The 1940 Tokyo Olympics stand as a ghost chapter in Olympic history — an ambitious dream derailed by the tumult of war. Yet, they also symbolize a crucial turning point, the beginning of Asia’s integration into global sporting culture. Though they never took place, the 1940 Games remind us that the Olympics are not just about sport — they’re about diplomacy, aspiration, and the state of the world itself.
