Torch runner from 1964 Tokyo Olympics dies at 69

Yoshinori Sakai, who served as the final torch runner in the relay for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, died of a cerebral hemorrhage early Wednesday morning at a hospital in Tokyo, his former employer said. He was 69.

Sakai was born in the city of Miyoshi, about 60 km northeast of Hiroshima, on Aug. 6, 1945 — the same day that it was reduced to rubble by an atomic bomb. He was selected as the final runner in the torch relay for an event seen as a symbol of the nation’s postwar reconstruction and commitment to peace. He was a freshman student at Waseda University at the time.

An athlete himself, Sakai went on to win a silver medal in the 400-meter heat and a gold medal in a 1,600-meter relay at the 1966 Asian Games in Bangkok. After graduating from university, he joined Fuji Television Network Inc. in 1968, carving out a career as a journalist covering news and sports.

• Twitter
• Facebook
• LinkedIn

LATEST NATIONAL STORIES

Hong Kong Yasukuni protesters remanded pending court ruling: activist group

Two Hong Kong activists who were arrested by Japanese police for trespassing after staging a protest at the Yasukuni Shrine last week were remanded in custody following a court appearance Wednes...

Kono expresses hope Japan and South Korea can overcome war-related issues that have recently hurt...

Foreign Minister Taro Kono expressed hope Wednesday that Tokyo and Seoul could improve bilateral relations that have cooled following court rulings in South Korea on wartime labor. Tokyo...

Foreign visitors up 3.1% in November, growth slows after disasters

The number of foreign visitors to Japan in November increased 3.1 percent compared with the same month last year, government data showed Wednesday, while the pace of growth has slowed from doubl...