The Japan men's national artistic gymnastics team is a sport group governed by and represents Japan in international gymnastics competitions and multi-sports events. Followed the establishment of in 1930, the team first appeared at the 1932 Summer Olympics and gradually became the major force till this day. For nearly two decades, from 1960 to 1978, Japanese men was dominant and won every gold medal at the Olympics and World Championships.
The Japanese first appeared internationally at the 1932 Summer Olympics, following the establishment of on April 13th 1930,[1] and finished 5th. They returned 4 years later in Berlin, Germany and got 9th place. As the result of the World War II, Germany, Japan and Bulgaria, under Allied military occupations, were not allowed to send athletes to London.[2]
The breakthrough came in 1952 when Japanese gymnasts achieved 4 medals at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki. Tadao Uesako brought home a silver in floor and a bronze in vault. Another two vault medalists were Masao Takemoto and Takashi Ono, winning silver and bronze respectively.[3] The team made its debut at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in 1954 and immediately achieved success, winning silver in Group All-around, their first world-level medal in the discipline. Takemoto became the champion in Floor, also the country first gold medal, and bronze in Parallel Bars.[4]
Japan's performances in men's gymnastics improved incredibly at the 1956 Olympics, with 11 medals in total. While securing their position as 2nd best team in the world, winning silver in Group All-around, they also achieved first Olympic gold medal, with Takashi Ono being the champion in Horizontal Bar. Ono was also tied with Viktor Chukarin as the most decorated male gymnasts at the Games, winning silvers in All-around and Pommel Horse, and a bronze in Parallel Bars. Other successful Japanese gymnasts in individual disciplines were Masao Takemoto, winning 3 bronzes, Masumi Kubota, a silver in Parallel Bars and a bronze in Rings, and Nobuyuki Aihara, a bronze in Floor.[5]
Ono and Takemoto led team Japan to defend their second place at the 1958 World Championships, with each of them winning 5 and 4 individual medals respectively. Takemoto successfully achieved another gold in Floor, and added a Vault silver and Horizontal Bar bronze to his collection. Ono received 3 silvers in All-around, Floor, Parallel Bars and a bronze in Vault. Another individual medal was a silver in Rings achieved by Nobuyuki Aihara.[6][7][8]
1960-1978: World Superpower[]
For nearly 30 years, Japan dominated men's gymnastics, winning every team competition from 1960 Summer Olympics to 1978 World Championships. During this golden age, many gymnasts rose to prominent and achieved overwhelming success. Despite the World Championships only be held every four year, multiple legends appeared and became some of the most decorated gymnasts in the history. Notable names could be mentioned are Sawao Kato, who's holding the record of most Olympics gold medals, Akinori Nakayama, most Olympic and World victories until being surpassed by Kohei Uchimura in 2016, Eizo Kenmotsu, 24 medals including 10 gold, Mitsuo Tsukahara, 15 medals with 9 gold, Yukio Endo, 8 victories and 17 times being on the podium, Takashi Ono, whose glory continued until 1964 Summer Olympics, Shigeru Kasamatsu, Haruhiro Yamashita, Shuji Tsurumi, Nobuyuki Aihara, Takashi Mitsukuri,...
1960 Summer Olympics[]
Japan defeated the USSR in Team All-around for the first time, ending a decade of Soviet domination in the discipline. Takashi Ono brough home two more gold medals in Vault and horizontal bar, as well as an all around silver, and two bronzes in rings and parallel bars, respectively. Nobuyuki Aihara also won the floor, and other 2 medals were achieved by Masao Takemoto, with a silver in horizontal bar, and Shuji Tsurumi, the pommel horse bronze medalist. In total, Japanese team won 9 medals, 2 less than 4 years ago, but 3 more gold, jumping to second place with only 2 behind the USSR. [9]
At the World Championships 2 years later in Prague, Japan surpassed the USSR, climbing to the first on men's medal table. They continued the victory in team, while also being successful in individual events, winning another 3 gold, 4 silver and 3 bronze. Yukio Endo was the biggest star by reaching the podium in every category except for pommel horse. He shared the victory in floor with the reigning Olympic Champion and compatriot Nobuyuki Aihara, getting silvers in individual all-around, rings and horizonal bar, bronzes in vault and parallel bars. Takashi Ono adding another gold in horizontal bar to his collection. Another 2 medal of the Japanese team were a silver from the later Olympic and world vault champion, Haruhiro Yamashita and a bronze in pommel horse by Takashi Mitsukuri.[10][11][12]
When Japan hosted their first Olympics in 1964, their male gymnasts won big at home. The Japanese men achieved the total of 5 gold medals, more than the whole Soviet team, male and female, combined. The defending Olympic and world champion successfully secured the top position in team, with the exact score different like 4 years ago, 2.500. Yukio Endo won the first gold medal in all-around for Japan, while his compatriot Shuji Tsurumi got the silver. The two men also achieved 2 other medals each, with Endo winning gold parallel bars and silver in floor, and Tsurumi getting 2 silvers in parallel bars & pommel horse. in vault, the defending world runner-up Haruhiro Yamashita became the Olympic champion, and Takuji Hayata bought Japan the first victory in rings.[13]
Japan showed their domination rival at the 1966 World Championships by winning 13 medals, including 4 golds, 5 silvers and 4 bronzes. Akinori Nakayama was the biggest star with 3 championship titles in team, floor, parallel bars, as well as a silver in rings and 2 bronzes in all-around and vault. In total, he won the same number of medals as the Soviet men, also the number of gold medals. The defending Olympic champion in vault, Haruhiro Yamashita successfully became the world champion in the same apparatus. All other 4 Japanese gymnasts were also be on the podium in individual events. Yukio Endo won 2 silvers in floor and horizontal bar. Takeshi Kato got a silver in vault and a bronze in pommel horse. Takashi Mitsukuri helped Japan achieved the podium sweep in horizontal bar. Shuji Tsurumi, the all-around runner-up, also qualified for all 6 apparatus finals. However, an injury happened in rings performance caused him to withdraw from the competition.
Gold: 1960, 1964, 1968, 1972, 1976, 2004, 2016
Silver: 1956, 2008, 2012, 2020
Bronze: 1984, 1988, 1992
Gold: 1962, 1966, 1970, 1974, 1978, 2015
Silver: 1954, 1958, 1979, 1981, 1995, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2014
Bronze: 1983, 2003, 2006, 2018, 2019
silver medal
gold medal
bronze medal
silver medal
gold medal
bronze medal
2008
2016
1972
National sports teams of Japan