抄録
This study aims to clarify the role played by Matsuzo Nagai, a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), in facilitating Japan’s return to the Olympic Games and the international sports world of the postwar period. At that time, Michimasa Soyeshima, Shingoro Takaishi, and Matsuzo Nagai were listed as registered IOC members. However, neither Soyeshima nor Takaishi were able to play an active role on account of the former’s ill-health and the latter having been purged from public service.
In this study, I examined domestic and overseas historical materials related to Nagai and conducted a research interview with Nagai’s bereaved family members.
I examined the letters of the Japanese IOC members from 1945 to 1949 in the IOC Archives and the Avery Brundage Collection of historical materials and found that Nagai exchanged more letters in comparison with the other Japanese IOC members.
In addition, based on my research of the above-mentioned historical materials, minutes of the Japan Amateur Athletic Association and a research interview with Nagai’s bereaved family members, I found that it was actively involved in Japan’s participation in the Olympic Games; moreover, he aimed to attend the Olympic Games and IOC session of 1948 and visited GHQ several times, and exchanged many letters with IOC members. Subsequently, in spite of his ill-health, Nagai was the only Japanese member who attended the 44th IOC Rome session of 1949. This was first postwar the IOC session attended by a Japanese member. Although Nagai achieved the return of each Japanese Sports Association to the respective International sports Federation (IF) at this session, his health deteriorated further and he had to be hospitalized in Vatican City for about a month. Nagai fell sick once again after his return to Japan, and in 1950, following the appointment of Ryotaro Azuma as at the IOC member at the 45th IOC session in Copenhagen 1950, he resigned.
Thus, one can conclude that Matsuzo Nagai played a very important role in ensuring Japan’s return to the international sports world.
