This study was performed to clarify the issue of Japan’s participation in the Games of the New Emerging Forces (GANEFO) held in Indonesia in 1963. Indonesia, which was officially banned by the International Olympic Committee from participating in the Olympic games due to its rejection of Taiwanese and Israeli participation in the 4th Asian Games in 1962, launched GANEFO as an alternative international sporting competition. Despite the fact that Indonesia invited Japan to GANEFO, the invitation was sent to neither the Japan Amateur Sports Association (JASA) nor the Japan Olympic Committee, but instead to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA). This was because GANEFO was, by nature, inseparable from Indonesian national policy, and Indonesia suggested that Japan participate in the newly launched competition as a political request. The MFA preferred to avoid political intervention in sport and left the decision to JASA. However, the cabinet of Prime Minister Hayato Ikeda tried to address GANEFO’s request in view of the relationship between Japan and Indonesia that existed in those days and the upcoming meeting between Prime Minister Ikeda and President Sukarno. In principle, Ikeda’s cabinet needed to refrain from intervening in GANEFO (as it was a matter of sport), but in practice it was unavoidable for the cabinet to deal with GANEFO’s request because of the highly political nature of the issue.

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