The
1964 Tokyo Olympics were the first Games hosted in Asia. Torches from
this Olympiad are among the scarcest of Summer Olympic torches, and a
complete example like this one with its bowl, cylinder and original one
intact is especially rare. The Olympic flame began its journey in
Olympia, Greece, and traveled to 11 Asian cities before arriving in
Okinawa, Japan, and ultimately making its way to Tokyo. The relay lasted
51 days and covered a total of 26,065 km. There were 870 torchbearers
outside Japan, but the exact number within the host nation is unknown.
Although a typhoon and various plane issues caused a one-day delay
during the relay, the triumphant final leg by Yoshinori Sakai through
Tokyo's National Olympic Stadium on October 10, 1964, served as a
defining moment for post-war Japan.
Designed
by Munemichi Yanagi and manufactured by Nippon Light Metal Co., this
torch was used in the relay and comes complete with its bowl (handle
base) and cylinder (burning attachment), and even its original bowl box.
In most cases, the box and cylinder are both missing. Designed like a
coal-mine safety lamp, the 1964 Tokyo torch was filled with priming
powder and fumigant, a two-component ignition material that needed to be
wind and rain resistant. The bowl is made of blackened aluminum alloy.
Its circular top measures 17 cm (6.75") across and is engraved "XVIII
OLYMPIAD TOKYO 1964" with the interlocking Olympic rings. The very
bottom of the handle is inscribed "NIKKEI YANAGI." The bowl/handle piece
is 19 cm (7.5") tall. The cylinder is clad with stainless steel and
measures 54 cm (21.5"); when inserted into the bowl, the complete torch
stands close to 65 cm (25.5"). The clean portion of the cylinder bears
the 1964 Tokyo Games logo with "SHOWA KASEIHIN CO., 3-1964" inscribed at
the lower end, both of which are hidden when inserted into the bowl.
The
aluminum bowl has a few scratch marks. The cylinder shows more wear
with darkening (i.e. burning) on the upper end. It is not bent but does
have a small 1-inch dent in the center that is conveniently hidden by
glare. Overall, the torch presents in EX-MT condition. It comes with its
original square cardboard box that holds just the bowl. The gray box
has the Tokyo Games logo on the outside with other key descriptors
labeled jut under the opening. A wonderful complete set for Olympic
collectors.