The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVIII Olympic Winter Games and commonly known as Nagano 1998, was a winter multi-sport event held from 7 to 22 February 1998, mainly in Nagano, Japan, with some events taking place in the nearby mountain communities of Hakuba, Karuizawa, Nozawa Onsen, and Yamanouchi. The city of Nagano had previously been a candidate to host the 1940 Winter Olympics, as well as the 1972 Winter Olympics, but had been eliminated at the national level by Sapporo on both occasions.
Yoshiaki Tsutsumi is a Japanese businessman. During the Japanese economic bubble, Forbes listed Tsutsumi as the wealthiest person in the world during 1987–94 due to his extensive real estate investments through the Seibu Corporation, which he controlled. In 1987, he had a net worth of $20 billion. However, as a result of a series of scandals and his 2005 arrest, his net worth has fallen to such an extent that he was taken off the Forbes list of billionaires in 2007.
Aqua Wing Arena is an indoor aquatics arena in Nagano, Japan. The arena is located in the Yoshida area of the city of Nagano, in Nagano Sports Park, 5 km northeast of Nagano Station. The closest station is Asahi Station on the Nagano Electric Railway, a distance of 1 km.
Takanori Kono is a former Japanese nordic combined skier who competed during the 1990s, winning at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships, the Winter Olympics, and the Holmenkollen ski festival.
Nagano is the capital and largest city of Nagano Prefecture, located in the Nagano Basin in the central Chūbu region of Japan. Nagano is categorized as a core city of Japan. Nagano City is the highest prefectural capital in Japan, with an altitude of 371.4 meters (1,219 ft). The city is surrounded by mountains, the highest of which is Mount Takatsuma (2,353m), and is near the confluence of the Chikuma River - the longest and widest river in Japan - and the Sai River. As of 1 June 2019, the city had an estimated population of 370,632 in 160,625 households, and a population density of 444 persons per km2. The total area of the city is 834.81 square kilometres (322.32 sq mi).
The Japanese Olympic Committee is the National Olympic Committee in Japan for the Olympic Games movement, based in Tokyo, Japan. It is a non-profit organisation that selects teams and raises funds to send Japanese competitors to Olympic events organised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Portugal competed at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan.
Seiko Hashimoto is a Japanese politician, former speed skater and track cyclist. She has the most Olympic appearances of any Japanese athlete except Noriaki Kasai, representing her native country in four consecutive Winter Olympics from 1984 to 1994 and in three consecutive Summer Olympics from 1988 to 1996, making her a seven time Olympian. On top of her Olympic career, she is the mother of six children while working in politics and other leadership positions. She is currently a member of the House of Councillors from the Liberal Democratic Party, and serves as the President of the Japan Skating Federation.
Hironoshin Furuhashi was a Japanese Olympic freestyle swimmer. In 1948, he set world records in the 400 and 1,500 meter freestyles at the Japan national championships. Furuhashi and Japan were not allowed to compete at the 1948 Summer Olympics because of Japan's role in World War II.
Tsunekazu Takeda is a Japanese businessman, retired Olympic equestrian and the former President of the Japanese Olympic Committee, stepping down on 21 March 2019 amidst a corruption investigation. He also resigned as a member of the International Olympic Committee.
Makoto Kobayashi, a former Vice Minister of the Japanese Ministry of Home Affairs, served as the Director General of the Nagano Olympic Organizing Committee (NAOC) for the 1998 Winter Olympics and Paralympics which were held in Nagano, Japan.
The men's ice hockey tournament at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, was the 19th Olympic Championship. The Czech Republic, which emerged from the dissolution of Czechoslovakia in 1993, won its first winter gold medal, becoming only the seventh nation to win Olympic ice hockey gold. The tournament, held from February 7 to February 22, was played at the Big Hat and Aqua Wing arenas.
Masaji Tabata was a Japanese educator, journalist, and swimming coach. He was a key figure in Tokyo's successful bid to host the 1964 Summer Olympics. He served as the president of the Japanese Olympic Committee from 1973 to 1977.
The All Japan Taekwondo Association (Japanese: 一般社団法人全日本テコンドー協会, is an organization that oversees and represents the WTF Taekwondo in Japan. Established in its current form in 2005. Since May 2019 it has been a member of the Japan Olympic Committee. Since July 2019 they are no longer affiliated with the Japan Sport Association.
The opening ceremony of the 1998 Winter Olympics took place at Nagano Olympic Stadium, Nagano, Japan, on 7 February 1998. It began at 11:00 JST and finished at approximately 14:00 JST. As mandated by the Olympic Charter, the proceedings combined the formal and ceremonial opening of this international sporting event, including welcoming speeches, hoisting of the flags and the parade of athletes, with an artistic spectacle to showcase the host nation's culture and history. The Games were officially opened by Emperor of Japan Akihito.
Tasuku Tsukada is a Japanese politician, and the former mayor of the city of Nagano, the capital of Nagano Prefecture, in central Japan. Tsukada won his first mayoral contest in 1985. He served four full 4-year terms, until November 10, 2001. In 1997, Tsukada served as the Vice President of the Japan Association of City Mayors.
Nagano Sports Park is a park located in the Yoshida area of the city of Nagano, Nagano, Japan, approximately 5 km northeast of Nagano Station. The facilities are owned by Nagano Prefecture and by the Nagano municipal government.
Eishiro Saito was a Japanese businessman, the former President of Nippon Steel, the 6th Chairman of the Japan Business Federation (Keidanren) from 1986 to 1991, President of the Japan Science Foundation from 1988, President of the Japan Sports Fund, and President of the Nagano Olympic Organizing Committee.
Goro Yoshimura was a Japanese politician, and the former governor of Nagano Prefecture, in central Japan. Yoshimura was a graduate of the law faculty at the University of Tokyo. Upon graduation, he worked in the Nagano Prefectural Government Office. In 1971, he became deputy governor, and was elevated to governor in 1980 when the governor at the time, Gon'ichirō Nishizawa, suffered a cerebral hemorrhage. Yoshimura served five full 4-year terms, until October 26, 2000. Yoshimura retired from politics in 2000.
The closing ceremony of the 1998 Winter Olympics took place at Nagano Olympic Stadium, Nagano, Japan, on 22 February 1998. It began at 18:00 JST and finished at approximately 19:41 JST. As mandated by the Olympic Charter, the proceedings combines the formal and ceremonial closing of this international sporting event, including farewell speeches and closing of the Games by IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch. The Olympic flame has been extinguished.
