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75-405: The predecessor to the current Nippon Taiko Foundation was founded in 1979 by Daihachi Oguchi , the developer of contemporary taiko performance . Generally, membership in this organization only included groups that Oguchi had taught or trained. The group had two goals: to develop productive relations with active taiko groups, and to publicize and teach taiko performance techniques. Membership in

150-546: A snowflake , or a mountain flower, which refers to the importance of the natural environment to the city of Nagano. Similarly, Tokyo used cherry blossoms in its logo for its candidature for the 2020 Summer Olympics . Landor Associates conceived the official mascots that were used by the communication team for the Games. They consisted of four owlets, Sukki, Nokki, Lekki and Tsukki , also called Snowlets . The names were chosen from more than 47,000 suggestions. Four represents

225-571: A capacity of 20,000 spectators. Hakuba Ski Jumping Stadium was the first ski jump built in Japan with parallel 90 and 120 K-point hills. The ski jumping stadium can accommodate 45,000 spectators. Snow Harp Kamishiro was built for cross country skiing and Nordic combined . It includes three tracks of 4.8, 4.8, and 7.8 kilometers, 6 meters wide. The stadium is another 1.2 kilometers. In total, Snow Harp has 19 kilometers of tracks. Up to 20,000 spectators can be accommodated. Nozawa Onsen Ski Resort , in

300-409: A desire to create harmony between athletes and the natural surroundings are shown. In addition to the official poster, a separate poster was created for the opening ceremony. Marketing for the games cost the organizing committee 5.9 billion yen. These Olympic Games were sponsored by 11 worldwide partners, 8 gold partners, and 18 official supports and suppliers. Marketing revenues for sponsoring or for

375-665: A limited number of companies, with one company allowed to purchase the rights for any single product or service category, and these were based on previous Games, with adaptations for the local market. Sponsors were permitted to use the emblem and mascots as long as consent was obtained from the International Olympic Committee, Japanese Olympic Committee , and the NAOC. Hospitality packages for sponsors included priority for accommodations, tickets, and transportation services. The Sponsor Hospitality Village, next to

450-728: A set of basic techniques, such as how to hold a percussion mallet and suggested stretching methods to prepare for performance. The textbook has been revised and was republished in 2006. In 1997, the organization was renamed in Japanese from Nippon taiko renmei ( 日本太鼓連盟 ) to Nippon taiko zaidan ( 日本太鼓財団 ) , but is still referred to as the Nippon Taiko Foundation in English. The Foundation has generally been recognized for its work in connecting taiko performance groups across Japan and internationally.　As of 2012,

525-726: A traffic center for buses and cars in Karuizawa . Originally it was expected that both athletes and media delegations would arrive entirely via Narita International Airport , which did not happen given the high demand for plane tickets. So some delegations had to arrive via Kansai International Airport and Chubu Centrair International Airport in Nagoya The members of the IOC and the delegations who arrived in Narita traveled to Nagano via Shinkansen . To improve transportation for spectators,

600-478: A winter multi-sport event held from 7 to 22 February 1998, mainly in Nagano , Nagano Prefecture , Japan, with some events taking place in the nearby mountain communities of Hakuba , Karuizawa , Nozawa Onsen , and Yamanouchi . The city of Nagano had previously been a candidate to host the 1940 Winter Olympics (which were later cancelled), as well as the 1972 Winter Olympics , but had been eliminated at

675-431: Is the first indoor, long-track speed skating venue in Japan. It was built to accommodate 10,000 spectators. The venue, which gets its name from its M-shape, representing the surrounding mountains and harmonize with the skyline, is approximately 5 kilometers from Nagano Station. Finally, White Ring , with a maximum capacity of 7,351 spectators, was built for figure skating and short track speed skating . White Ring, which

750-449: Is the main sporting venue of the south of city,is on nearby Shinonoi Station area, and approximately 9 kilometers from Nagano Station . Outside from their structure,the stadium, resembles a cherry blossom , a symbol of Japan . During the Games the structure could accommodate 50,000 people. But with 15,000 temporary stands added, but now with permanent structures can accommodates until 35,000 spectators. Big Hat Arena named for its shape,

825-431: Is used as a public gymnasium, is approximately 6 kilometers from Nagano Station. Hakuba village is situated 50 kilometers west of the city of Nagano. Hakuba hosted three Olympics sites. Alpine skiing's downhill, super-G and combined were situated at Happo'one Resort . Three courses between altitudes of 840 meters and 1,765 meters were used, one for the men's, women's and combined for both men's and women's. The site has

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900-587: The 1964 Summer Olympics , thus becoming the first venue in the world to host both the Summer Olympics and Winter Olympics . To accommodate the athletes and officials during the Games, the Olympic Village was constructed in Imai district, approximately 7 kilometers south of Nagano Station. Along with the construction of the village, Imai Station was opened in 1997. The village was constructed by

975-513: The 1968 Winter Olympics but lost to Sapporo, the winning Japanese bid, who lost to Grenoble , France , and Sapporo eventually won the right to host the 1972 Winter Olympics . Japanese private sector organizations, in 1983, began publicly discussing a possible bid. Two years later, in 1985, the Nagano Prefectural Assembly, decided to begin the process to bid, for its third time, for a Winter Olympics. The bid committee

1050-641: The 1998 Winter Paralympics from 5 to 14 March. These were the final Winter Olympic Games under the IOC Presidency of Juan Antonio Samaranch . The hosting of the games improved transportation networks with the construction of the high-speed Shinkansen , the Nagano Shinkansen, now the Hokuriku Shinkansen , between Tokyo and Nagano Station , via Ōmiya and Takasaki . In addition, new highways were built, including

1125-552: The 2002 Winter Olympics , US$ 4.35 billion for the 2006 Winter Olympics , US$ 7.56 billion for the 2010 Winter Olympics , and US$ 51 billion for the 2014 Winter Olympics Nagano is situated at the Japanese Alps area and receives large snowfalls every year. These combined to make transportation an important challenge for the organizing committee. In addition, the Olympic Village was a distance of 7 kilometers from

1200-781: The Jōshin-etsu Expressway , were also built in the Nagano region. In May 1993, the 75.8-kilometer section of the Nagano Expressway was completed, and in October 1997, the 111.4 kilometer section of the Jōshin-etsu Expressway was completed. In addition, another 114.9 kilometers of roads within Nagano Prefecture were improved. Transportation systems for the Games ran for 33 days, from the opening of

1275-739: The Nagano Expressway and the Jōshin-etsu Expressway and upgrades were made to existing roads. In 1932, Japan won the rights to host the 1940 Summer Olympics in Tokyo . At that time, organizers of the Summer Olympics had priority in choosing the venue for the Winter Olympics the same year. Several Japanese cities, including Nagano, prepared a bid. Sapporo was chosen; however, the games never took place because of World War II . In 1961, Nagano declared its intention to host

1350-665: The Nagano Olympic Stadium , welcomed 32,000 guests. To promote awareness of the sponsors, advertising was done in various media from 1995, and on banners and buses immediately before the games. Dick Pound noted, during the Games, the excellence of the marketing program, citing the " perfect example of how the private and public sectors can work together ". The Games had 11 Worldwide Olympic Partners, eight Gold Sponsors and 18 Official Supporters and Suppliers. Worldwide Olympic Partners: Gold Sponsors: Official Supporters and Suppliers: From 7 February 1997,

1425-551: The Nagano prefectural government spent ¥29.6 billion, and the cities and towns of Nagano, ¥23.4 billion; Hakuba , ¥1 billion; and Nozawa Onsen , ¥1.1 billion; shared the remaining ¥25.5 billion. The most expensive venue was impressive M-Wave , the indoor rink which hosted the long-track speed skating events. It cost near ¥34.8 billion. The two ice hockey venues, Big Hat and Aqua Wing Arena cost ¥19.1 and ¥9.1 billion respectively. The White Ring (arena) , which hosted figure skating and short-track speed skating cost ¥14.2 billion,

1500-663: The Spiral , which hosted bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton, cost ¥10.1 billion. Another ¥8.6 billion was spent on the Hakuba Ski Jumping Stadium , ¥7 billion for Snow Harp – the cross-country skiing venue, and ¥3 billion for the biathlon venue at Nozawa Onsen Snow Resort . The organizing committee financed all costs, totaling ¥113.9 billion. It spent ¥99.4 billion for operational expenses, ¥21.6 billion for public relations, ¥20.7 billion for installations, ¥18.4 billion for telecommunications, ¥15.9 billion for running

1575-545: The 62 International Olympic Committee members and many of their companions. The precise figures are unknown since Nagano, after the IOC asked that the entertainment expenditures not be made public, destroyed the financial records, according to bid member Junichi Yamaguchi . Five months after the city was selected, the Nagano Olympic Organizing Committee (NAOC) was created. Eishiro Saito , Chairman of Japan Business Federation (Keidanren)

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1650-757: The Athletes Village until 3 days after the Paralympics closing ceremony, when the Village was decommissioned from its functions. Approximately 64% of the athletes arrived between 1 and 6 February, and 74% left Nagano between 22 and 25 February. Logistical operations were directed from the operational centre situated at the Organizing Committee headquarters. Two regional logistical minor hubs were created in Hakuba and Yamanouchi , as well as

1725-491: The Foundation increased substantially in the 1980s. There were few experienced teachers who were available to teach newer members, and prompted concerns from organizational leadership that it would not be feasible to accommodate demand, particularly because taiko was normally taught orally. To resolve this problem, Oguchi developed a textbook called Japan Taiko ( 日本の太鼓 ) that was published in 1994. However, leadership at

1800-402: The Foundation represents over 800 taiko groups, approximately 20,000 individuals, and is made up of 34 leagues corresponding to some Japanese prefectures . It also has a membership of over 8000 certified instructors of taiko performance at various levels both within and outside Japan. Daihachi Oguchi Daihachi Oguchi ( 小口 大八 , Oguchi Daihachi , February 27, 1924 – June 27, 2008)

1875-497: The Foundation were not satisfied with the publication because they felt it was written too heavily in favor of Oguchi's specific performance methods, and that it lacked a general set of fundamental performance techniques that would allow for an organized certification process. The Foundation later published a more recent textbook in 2001 called the Nihon Taiko Textbook ( 日本太鼓教本 , Nihon taiko kyōhon ) that provides

1950-512: The Games. The cost and cost overrun for Nagano 1998 compares with costs of US$ 2.5 billion and a cost overrun of 13% for Vancouver 2010, and costs of US$ 51 billion and a cost overrun of 289% for Sochi 2014, the latter being the most costly Olympics to date. Average cost for Winter Games since 1960 is US$ 3.1 billion, average cost overrun is 142%. For the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, a total of fourteen sports venues, all within Nagano Prefecture , were used. Construction of these venues, and of

2025-676: The Nagano Olympics and the Olympic Games, a logo of the relay, and of Coca-Cola. 72 nations participated in the 1998 Winter Olympic Games for a total of 2,176 athletes, of which 787 were female and 1,389 were male. With the addition of five countries and another 439 athletes since the 1994 Winter Olympic Games at Lillehammer , Norway , these were the largest Winter Olympics ever at the time. The nations of Azerbaijan , Kenya , Macedonia , Uruguay , and Venezuela participated in their first Winter Olympic Games. Iran returned to

2100-786: The Olympic Museum. In February 1999, one year after the Games, the IOC awarded the Nagano the Olympic Cup , and presented the city a replica of the sculpture of stylized athletes raising the Olympic Flag by the Swiss artist Nag Arnoldi. The costs of construction and of the land of the Olympic venues totaled ¥106.6 billion, approximately 914 million US dollars . Of this, the Japanese national government spent ¥51.1 billion,

2175-541: The Olympic Stadium which hosted the ceremonies, began in 1990 and lasted until 1997, with construction and land costs totaling 106.6 billion yen. The most expensive venue constructed for the games was the multi-use arena who hosted the speed skating events M-Wave built 5 kilometers from Nagano Station . Between March 1996 and November 1997, these sites were tested with 16 different World Championship events, World Cups, and another international competitions to allow

2250-647: The Olympic Village, including the Honorary Mayor Yasuko Konoe , Mayor Shozo Sasahara , and Deputy Mayors Takanori Kono , Hiroko Chiba , and Shun'ichi Bobby Hirai . Because the curling arena was in Karuizawa, 90 kilometers away, a satellite village was built in Karuizawa, 7 kilometers from the arena. It was open from 4 to 16 February 1998. In addition, a section of the Shiga Kogen Prince Hotel , 58 kilometers from

2325-500: The Olympic Village, was reserved for 180 snowboarders and officials. In addition to athletes and officials, members of the Olympic and Paralympic family and other personnel were housed in 900 hotels and another structures in Nagano and surrounding regions, which represented 234,207 nights between 24 January to 25 February 1998. The members of the International Olympic Committee stayed in the Kokusai 21 Hotel in downtown Nagano. In total,

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2400-567: The Olympic family included 18,350 people. Finally, two media villages were built in the districts of Yanagimachi , near Nagano Station, and Asahi, across the street from the M-Wave. The Olympic torch was lit by sunlight during a ceremony organized by the Temple of Hera at Olympia , Greece on 19 December 1997. Vassilis Dimitriadis, a Greek alpine skier started the Greek leg towards Athens where

2475-461: The Winter Olympics. The athlete who won the most medals at these games was the Russian cross-country skier Larisa Lazutina who won five medals, including three gold. The Norwegian cross-country skier Bjørn Dæhlie won four medals, including three gold, which took his total Olympic medal total to 12, including eight gold, which is a record for Winter Olympics. Czech men's ice hockey team won

2550-545: The arenas used, which were mostly larger than those used four years earlier but slightly lower than the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary . Tickets sales were a success in the domestic market, as the Japanese people finished the process of purchase with a reservation list of 6 million. For the most popular events, a lottery system was used. In total, ticket sales raised 10.5 billion yen for the organizing committee. The ice hockey matches represented 295,802 tickets sold, 26% of

2625-409: The center of the city, and sporting events were spread over five surrounding cities. The complicating matters were that many of the venues had one single road in-out, which limited possibilities and led to traffic jams. To improve access to Nagano, the government decided to link the prefecture with the high-speed shinkansen train network. Called Nagano Shinkansen (now the Hokuriku Shinkansen ), it

2700-562: The city of Nagano as public and low coast residential housing, and loaned to the organizing committee during the Games. The Village occupies an area that is 19 hectares, composed of 23 buildings with a total of 1,032 apartments. Temporary restaurants and shops were also available during the Games. The Village was open for the Olympics from 24 January to 25 February 1998 and 1 to 19 March for the Paralympics, and accommodated nearby 4,000 people. Several prominent people were recognized as faces of

2775-492: The committee. The number of committee members was 511. On 12 February 1990, the bid delegation presented its candidature at the International Olympic Committee in Lausanne before Juan Antonio Samaranch. Other candidate cities for the 1998 Olympics were Aosta , Italy ; Jaca , Spain ; Östersund , Sweden ; Salt Lake City , United States , and Sochi , Russian SFSR , Soviet Union (now Russia ). The host city selection

2850-481: The competitions, and ¥14.4 billion for administration. Television rights were worth ¥35.4 billion, and marketing earned ¥31.3 billion. Ticket sales were worth ¥10.5 billion. The total cost of the Nagano Games is estimated to have been US$ 15.25 billion (in 2015), of which the largest factor in the cost of the games was the extension of the shinkansen to Nagano. This compares, for example, with US$ 2.5 billion for

2925-485: The environmental stewardship committed during the Winter Games. The site can accommodate 10,000 spectators. Finally, the town of Karuizawa , approximately 80 southwest of Nagano, hosted the curling events at Kazakoshi Park Arena . The venue was built as a multi-purpose venue. Its ice surface is 60 meters by 30. Its maximum capacity is 1,924 spectators. The town of Karuizawa also hosted the equestrian events at

3000-447: The flame into one. After that, the unifield flame was used to light another torch held by then lit a cauldron who lited a torch held by Juan Antonio Samaranch . On the early hours of the 7 February morning, the final leg started and the flame travelled another 10 kilometers to the Olympic Stadium and the figure skater Midori Ito lit the cauldron at Nagano Olympic Stadium during the opening ceremonies. The Olympic Flame Relay in Japan

3075-425: The gold medal. In Ski Jumping , Kazuyoshi Funaki won two gold medals and one silver for host Japan . The American Figure skater Tara Lipinski became the youngest champion in Olympic history at the age of 15 years and 255 days. Germany dominated the medal table with 29 medals, including 12 gold. Germany was followed by Norway and Russia, who won 25 and 18 medals respectively. Canada , which finished fourth in

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3150-850: The handover ceremony was held at the Panathenaic Stadium .The flame burned from 27 to 30 December in the Ginza area, and from 31 December to 4 January in the Yoyogi Park .On the morning on that day the flame was split into three and taken by plane to three destinations: the Eastern Japan route, starting from Hokkaido ; the Pacific Ocean route, starting from Kagoshima ; and the Sea of Japan route starting in Okinawa .On 23 January,

3225-424: The host city and country or private investors to build, e.g., the competition venues, the Olympic village, international broadcast center, and media and press center, which are required to host the Games. Indirect capital costs are not included, such as for road, rail, or airport infrastructure, or for hotel upgrades or other business investment incurred in preparation for the Games but not directly related to staging

3300-517: The medal table with 15 medals, including six gold, had its most successful Winter Olympics up until that point. The host was selected on 15 June 1991, over Salt Lake City , Östersund , Jaca and Aosta . They were the third Olympic Games and second Winter Olympics to be held in Japan, after the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo and the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo . The games were succeeded by

3375-495: The national level by Sapporo on both occasions. The games hosted 2,176 athletes from 72 nations competing in 7 sports and 68 events. The number of athletes and participating nations were a record at the time. The Games saw the introduction of women's ice hockey , curling and snowboarding . National Hockey League players were allowed to participate in the men's ice hockey for the first time. Azerbaijan , Kenya , Macedonia , Uruguay , and Venezuela made their debut at

3450-401: The number and hours of local trains were extended. During the heaviest traffic days, more cars and buses were put in service and up to 68 parking areas, for 8,000 vehicles were at available for various Olympic delegations, and another 17 parking areas for 23,000 cars for spectators. Approximately 1,200 vehicles had navigation systems which transmitted their locations in a GPS system. As one of

3525-426: The number of years between each Olympic Games, and also represent the four elements , fire, air, earth, and water. The official poster for the Games was designed by the graphic designer Masuteru Aoba presented a thrush perched on ski poles with light in the background shining on snow-capped mountain peaks. Here, as with the emblem and the mascots, the importance of the natural environment in these Olympic Games and

3600-566: The organizers to prepare for the running of the Games. Five new venues were used, localized all inside city of Nagano urban area . The project to build the Olympic Stadium and the 4 arenas already existed before the idea of the bid. However, these plans were accelerated soon after the submission of the proposal to the Japanese Olympic Committee, since Nagano did not have any infrastructure to host events such as concerts or international congresses. The Nagano Olympic Stadium

3675-412: The organizing committee put up for sale 1,286,000 tickets for the various competitions and ceremonies. The number of tickets sold was 1,149,615, which represented 89.4% of available tickets. Including people connected to the Games, the total number of spectators was 1,275,529. This number was slightly higher than in 1994 as a result of the greater availability of tickets. This reflected the total capacity of

3750-450: The outturn cost of the Nagano 1998 Winter Olympics at US$ 2.2 billion in 2015-dollars and cost overrun at 56% in real terms. This includes sports-related costs only, that is, (i) operational costs incurred by the organizing committee for the purpose of staging the Games, e.g., expenditures for technology, transportation, workforce, administration, security, catering, ceremonies, and medical services, and (ii) direct capital costs incurred by

3825-632: The phenomenal taiko boom for next decades. Mr. Oguchi helped found top taiko groups, including San Francisco Taiko Dojo , which has performed in Hollywood movies and on international tours since forming 40 years ago. Oguchi also led and starred in the performance of drumming and dance at the closing ceremony of the 1998 Nagano Olympics . "Your heart is a taiko. All people listen to a taiko rhythm dontsuku-dontsuku in their mother's womb," Daihachi Oguchi told The Associated Press at that time. "It's instinct to be drawn to taiko drumming." "In taiko, man becomes

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3900-420: The principal aims of the Games was to respect nature, many vehicles were considered ecological or semi-ecological. In addition, there were more than 100 electric vehicles, hybrid mini-buses and other environmentally-friendly vehicles. The emblem of the 1998 Winter Olympics consisted of a stylized snow flower with each petal representing an athlete participating in a winter sport. The figure could also represent

3975-531: The rights to use the emblems and mascots of the Games totaled 31.3 billion yen. Sukki, Nokki, Lekki and Tsukki, also known as the Snowlets, are the 1998 Winter Olympic mascots and are four snowy owls. They represent respectively fire (Sukki), air (Nokki), earth (Lekki) and water (Tsukki) and together they represent the four major islands of Japan. The development of Rights Packages were based on International Olympic Committee policy of offering exclusive rights to

4050-526: The second point, the organizers attempted to minimize the impact on their nature and the local ecosystem. Regarding the third point, an international truce organized by the United Nations in 1997 was adopted during the games. The Nagano Olympics Games are a link to the 21st century, inspiring our search for wisdom for the new ear, respect for the beauty and bounty of nature, furtherance of peace and goodwill. Friends worldwide are welcome to share, in

4125-614: The sound. In taiko, you can hear the sound through your skin". In 2008, Daihachi Oguchi died at age 84 after being hit by a motorist while crossing the street. Oguchi had been scheduled to perform with Kodo , the world-renowned Taiko performance group. 1998 Winter Olympics The 1998 Winter Olympics , officially known as the XVIII Olympic Winter Games ( Japanese : 第18回オリンピック冬季競技大会 , Hepburn : Dai Jūhachi-kai Orinpikku Tōkikyōgi Taikai ) and commonly known as Nagano 1998 ( Japanese : 長野1998 ), were

4200-673: The spirit of competition and fair play, the joys and glory of the XVIII Olympic Winter Games. In June 1998, four months after the Games, the NAOC presented a donation of US$ 1 million to the Olympic Museum in Lausanne . This value come of the revenue of tickets sales and another actions from the committee. In October of the same year, NAOC also donated the 3-D high vision theater and some structures that were used in Nagano Olympic Villages to

4275-483: The three flames arrived on Nagano Prefecture and toured their 120 cities and municipalities. Finally, they arrived in Nagano City on the night of 6 February. The following day, after traveling through each district of the city, the relays arrived on the same time at the central square where three former athletes passed the flames to three members of the organizing committee who lited a celebration cauldron gathering

4350-474: The total. Tickets sold for alpine skiing totaled 166,092; for ski jumping , 96,000, and speed skating , 93,000. For multiple sports, ski jumping, Nordic combined , freestyle skiing , all three skating disciplines, bobsleigh , and curling , as well as the ceremonies, all tickets were sold. By contrast,due the local demands and low interest only 56.6% of the 146,000 available tickets for cross-country skiing were sold. The Oxford Olympics Study established

4425-405: The town of Nozawaonsen , was site of biathlon . Nozawa is approximately 50 kilometers north of Nagano. At Nozawa Onsen, the stadium was built around six existing tracks. Two tracks, of 4 kilometers and 7 kilometers, were used for the Games. The stadium can accommodate 20,000 spectators. Two sites in the town of Yamanouchi , approximately 30 kilometers northeast of Nagano, were used. Giant slalom

4500-426: The tradition. Inspired by a western drum set, he formed a group in which each player beats a different taiko; in short, he gave the group a function as a drum set. A high-pitched Shime-daiko established a basic rhythm like a snare drum does. A growling Nagado-daiko added accents like a bass drum. His intention was right to the point, and this epoch-making invention changed the taiko music forever. Oguchi helped turn

4575-527: The traditional form into a dramatic performance spectacle, elevating the traditional folk sounds of taiko to modern music played in concert halls, not just festivals and shrines. The period from 1970s to 1990s in Japan seemed to be the Renaissance of taiko music. The activities of Osuwa Daiko and other early kumi-daiko groups in 1960s, and the taiko performance at the Tokyo Olympics in 1964 ignited

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4650-463: Was a Japanese drummer best known for popularizing taiko . Master Japanese drummer Daihachi Oguchi is credited with inventing kumi-daiko, the taiko ensemble, in 1951. After founding his own ensemble, Osuwa Daiko , he led the spread of modern Taiko throughout Japan and the U.S. A former jazz drummer, Daihachi Oguchi took ancient rhythms, broke them down and created new arrangements and compositions to accommodate an ensemble of drummers. One day, he

4725-512: Was asked to interpret an old sheet of taiko music for Suwa Shrine , which was found in an old warehouse. The sheet music was written in an old Japanese notation and he could not understand it at first. He found an old man who had performed the tune, and then he succeeded in interpreting it at last. However, as a jazz player, the rhythm pattern of the tune was too simple for him to play. He wondered why nobody played taiko together. A marvelous idea came across his mind and made him decide to break through

4800-490: Was chosen as the host of the following 2002 Winter Olympics . Following a 2002 Winter Olympic bid scandal that occurred in the summer of 2000, Atlanta , host of the 1996 Summer Olympics , Nagano , and Sydney , host of the 2000 Summer Olympics , were suspected of similar improprieties in bidding practices. Although nothing illegal was ever done, gifts to IOC members were considered morally dubious. The Nagano Olympic bid committee spent approximately $ 14 million to entertain

4875-467: Was eliminated. Finally, Nagano prevailed over Salt Lake City by just 4 votes in the fifth round of voting, becoming the third Japanese city to host the games after Tokyo in 1964 Summer Olympics and Sapporo in 1972. Nagano, at 36°N , is the southernmost city in the Northern hemisphere to host the Winter Olympics ( 1960 Winter Olympics host Squaw Valley, California is 39°N ). In June 1995, Salt Lake

4950-714: Was established in July 1986, they submitted their bid to the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) in November of the same year. Other Japanese cities that were bidding were Asahikawa , Yamagata , and Morioka . 1 June 1988, the JOC selected Nagano in the first round of national voting, receiving 34 of 45 votes. In 1989, the bid committee was reorganized, with the Japanese Prime Minister as head of

5025-451: Was followed by two groups of 11 vehicles and more than 20 people. The shape of the torch represented a traditional Japanese torch called taimatsu . It was built with aluminum, which was 55 centimeters long, and weighed 1.3 kilograms. The exterior of the torch was painted silver, to represent winter. Runners wore blue and white uniforms mixing the main look of the games colour blue and the white as snow. The runners' uniforms included logos for

5100-639: Was held at Mount Yakebitai at Shiga Kogen Resort , at an altitude between 1,530 and 1,969 meters. The site can accommodate 20,000 spectators. Also in Shiga Kogen, at Mount Higashidate , giant slalom events in Alpine skiing and snowboarding were held. Kanbayashi Snowboard Park was the site of the half pipe events. The track is 120 meters long and 15 meters wide, with walls of 3.5 meters. 10,000 spectators can be accommodated at Kanbayashi. The town of Iizuna , approximately 12 kilometers northwest of Nagano,

5175-483: Was held in Birmingham , United Kingdom, on 15 June 1991, at the 97th IOC session . After the first round of voting, Nagano led, with Aosta and Salt Lake City tied for last. Aosta was eliminated in a run-off against Salt Lake City. After the second round of voting, Nagano led with Salt Lake City in second, and Jaca was eliminated. Following round 3, Nagano continued to lead, with Salt Lake City in second, and Östersund

5250-407: Was inaugurated five months before the start of the Games. This reduced by half the travel time between Tokyo and Nagano, to 79 minutes for 221 kilometers. The length of the track between Takasaki Station and Nagano Station is 125.7 km, which includes 63.4 km of tunnels. The high speed train network carried 655,000 passengers during the Games. Two highways, the Nagano Expressway and

5325-704: Was replaced by Makoto Kobayashi in 1993. The organizing committee recognized three goals for the games, which they referred to as "Games from the Heart": promote youth participation, coexistence with nature, create a festival with peace and friendship at its centre. To realize the first goal, a camp bringing together 217 young people from 51 countries was created, along with the program of "One school, one country" in Nagano Prefecture. This program organized cultural exchanges with other countries. In addition, more than 100,000 tickets were reserved for children. For

5400-781: Was selected as president of the committee. There were four Vice Presidents: Goro Yoshimura , the Governor of Nagano Prefecture; Hironoshin Furuhashi , president of the Japanese Olympic Committee ; Yoshiaki Tsutsumi , the president of the Ski Association of Japan; and Tasuku Tsukada , the Mayor of Nagano City. In addition, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Home Affairs , Tadashi Tsuda, served as director-general. Tsuda

5475-412: Was sponsored by Coca-Cola , lasted 33 days and travelled 1.162 kilometers. A group of 5.5 million people took part in relay activities. Over the distance of the relay, which was run or skied, the flame was always followed by a group of six people: the main runner who carried the flame, some who accompanied the carrier, and four people in supporting roles, for a total of 6,901 people. In addition, each relay

5550-516: Was the principal venue of ice hockey tournament . Big Hat, located approximately 2 kilometers from Nagano Station, had a capacity of 10,104 spectators. Aqua Wing Arena was the second ice hockey arena at the Games. Shaped like a wing, it had a capacity of 6000 during the Olympics. After the Games, it was modified into an indoor swimming 25m pool. Aqua Wing is approximately 5 kilometers from Nagano Station. Its closest stations are Kita-Nagano Station and Asahi Station . M-Wave, used for speed skating ,

5625-616: Was the site of freestyle skiing and bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton at Iizuna Kogen Ski Area . 8,000 spectators can watch the free style skiing on a course that 250 meters long and 12,000 can watch the jumps. The Spiral, which held the sledding events, was the first artificially refrigerated track in Asia. It is 1700 meters long, with a difference in height of 114 meters and 15 turns. At the Spiral, approximately 40,000 saplings , mainly beech and oak , were planted two per square meter, as part of

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