Reading Response: WK 8
As stated in the article, the 18th Olympics held in Tokyo, Japan “symbolized the full acceptance of Japan back into the international community.” You could witness this in the Olympic film we watched this week. With footage of foreign athletes walking off the planes and the narrator stating that “never before has there been so many foreigners gathered in Japan.” The runner at the beginning of the film with the Olympic flame, running through the darkness from afar and the sun rising on the horizon left feelings of the Japanese unveiling a new Japan; lighting the darkness for all to see. When the scene shifts to a wrecking ball taking down old war torn buildings, the film looks to show the rebuilding of the nation; breaking down the memories of destruction. In the readings the author discussed the “destruction and reconstruction of Japan, but leaves out the historical process.” The road Japan had followed to achieve its current state had been long and rough. Without outlining the historical events, people had witnessed the horror and had tried to forget. As stated in the article “the success Olympics was able to mask the painful memories of destruction.” It was interesting how the venue used to introduce the athletes was the same venue used when Japan was preparing for war. The article discusses the Prime Minister Hideki addressing the Japanese students in that stadium urging them to destroy the Americans and the British. Yet years later the most foreign countries to ever visit Japan would be marching in the very same venue to share the field of competition.