Abstract
Shortly after the end of the Second World War, Kenkichi Oshima, in his position as a journalist, placed the responsibility for failing to fulfill the Olympic Ideal on the shoulders of the Japan Sports Association, Nevertheless, Oshima accepted a seat as the Associationʼs director, and was appointed for a limited term of seven years, from 1959 to 1965. During his time as director, he successfully fulfilled his duties by running the Tokyo Olympic bidding campaign and building the Tokyo Olympic Athlete Strengthening Headquarters. Oshima declared 1964 as the first “Year of Sports” in Japan, and made significant contributions toward laying the foundations for these projects. In 1963, Oshima left his position as a sports writer for the Mainichi Shinbun, upon reaching mandatory retirement age. After retiring, he continued to wield a powerful pen as a commissioned reporter for the Tokyo head office, where he blamed the Japan Sports Association for their inaction for the rest of his career. Why did Oshima declare 1964 to be the first “Year of Sports” in Japan? Why did he investigate the responsibility of the Japan Sports Association? This paper seeks to examine these two questions, looking at Oshimaʼs work in light of the Olympic Ideal of Pierre de Coubertin.
