In 1966, two years after the Tokyo Olympics, the «National Holidays» Act established a holiday as — Physical Education Day. Traditionally, it was celebrated on October 10 — on the day of the opening ceremony of the Olympics. But since 2000, the celebration has been moved to the second Monday of October, providing «sports» and «unsports» to the country's population with three «sports» weekends in a row.
The opening ceremony of the Olympics took place on October 10, and the Japanese have an indisputable explanation for the fact that the Summer Olympic Games were held in mid-autumn. At the beginning of October, according to long-term statistics, the autumn rain front is moving away, and sunny weather is setting over Tokyo.
Without exaggeration, we can say that the Tokyo Olympics became a grandiose event for Japan and a concentration of hopes for a prosperous future for the country.
After rising from the ruins of World War II and rebuilding the economy, Japan participated in the Olympic Games, thereby declaring economic competitiveness and a return to the international arena. In addition, having won the right to host the Summer Games from Detroit, Vienna and Brussels, Tokyo became the first city in Asia to host the Olympics. It is symbolic that the opening of the Olympics was officially proclaimed by Emperor Hirohito (later Emperor Showa), and the final torchbearer in the Olympic torch relay was a student born in Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, the day of the atomic bombing of the city.
«Sports autumn» — is certainly spoken by the Japanese these autumn days. In September and October, before and after Physical Education Day, sports festivals and runner's days are held everywhere in schools and stadiums in cities. Amateur marathon races and international sports competitions are held. Truly everything and everyone in Japan is engulfed in sports and its active promotion to the masses. Particular attention is paid to attracting children and schoolchildren to sports.