Military & Veterans Life
Cover Story: 57 Years Later, Reflections on the Olympics and Post-War Tokyo
The global pandemic that reshaped how we function and interact as humans left no corner of the world untouched. Every aspect of our lives changed on the personal level, but the cancellation or disruption of seemingly invincible cultural touchstones like the Olympics served as stunning reminders of the uncertain times we all endured. An event that intertwines and invigorates the world once every four years is needed now more than ever after a period of such isolating international disconnect and despair. After countless fits and starts threatened to condemn the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as collateral damage of the pandemic, we will soon get to enjoy what the Japanese refer to as the “Recovery Games” After all, Japan won the right to host the Olympics on July 16, 2011 just months after 18,000 Japanese lost their lives during the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster.