He did not miss a summer game since 1964, taking in Mexico City, Munich, Montreal, Moscow, Los Angeles, Seoul, Barcelona, Atlanta, Sydney, Athens, Beijing, London and Rio de Janeiro.
For good measure, he also attended the winter games when it rolled into Nagano in 1998, and told local media of his strong desire to attend the 2020 Tokyo Games.But his passion was truly ignited during the 1968 Mexico City Games, according to his website. He donned a kimono and a sombrero hat and loudly cheered for a Mexican 5000-metre runner, mistaking him for a Japanese athlete.
Local spectators embraced the scene and loudly cheered for Japanese athletes in return, leading to an electrifying show of support that went beyond nationality, his website said.Subscribe to our newsletter and get news delivered to your mailbox.