Tokyo 1940 Olympics bid, planning, and cancellation (1936-1940)

1. Failed February 26 coup shakes Japan’s politics

   Feb 26, 1936Labels: February 26, Imperial Japanese

   • Britannica
   • Wikipedia

2. IOC awards 1940 Games to Tokyo

   Jul 31, 1936Labels: International Olympic, Tokyo

   • Olympedia
   • Olympedia

3. Tokyo forms a late organizing structure

   Dec 1, 1936Labels: Tokyo Organizing

   • AHA Perspectives
   • Olympedia

4. IOC also selects Sapporo for 1940 Winter Games

   Jun 9, 1937Labels: Sapporo, International Olympic

   • Olympedia
   • Olympedia

5. Full-scale war with China begins

   Jul 7, 1937Labels: Second Sino-Japanese

   • Britannica
   • Olympedia

6. Tokyo publishes a preliminary rules and programme

   Jan 1, 1938Labels: Tokyo Organizing

   • Ntl Diet Lib
   • Olympic Library

7. Japan shifts resources to war and cuts Olympic support

   Jun 1, 1938Labels: Japanese Government

   • Olympedia
   • AHA Perspectives

8. Japanese Cabinet votes to forfeit the Olympics

   Jul 15, 1938Labels: Japanese Cabinet, Japanese IOC

   • AHA Perspectives
   • Olympedia

9. Sapporo also withdraws the 1940 Winter Games

   Jul 16, 1938Labels: Sapporo, Japanese Government

   • Olympedia
   • Olympedia

10. Tokyo withdraws as host; Helsinki steps in

    Sep 3, 1938Labels: Helsinki, Tokyo

    • Olympedia

11. Europe’s war triggers final cancellations

    Nov 1, 1939Labels: World War, Germany

    • Olympedia
    • Olympedia

12. Legacy: Tokyo eventually hosts the Olympics in 1964

    Oct 10, 1964Labels: Tokyo, 1964 Olympics

    • Britannica
    • JOC