When Japan's equestrian squad claimed bronze in team eventing at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, the victory carried profound historical significance, marking the nation's first Olympic medal in the sport for 92 years.
The last Japanese equestrian to stand on an Olympic podium was Takeichi Nishi, known as Baron Nishi, who captured gold in show jumping at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics. Nishi's story extends far beyond athletic triumph.
In January, the four members of the Olympic squad — Yoshiaki Oiwa, Kazuma Tomoto, Toshiyuki Tanaka and Ryuzo Kitajima — made a pilgrimage to Iwoto, the Pacific island better known as Iwo Jima. The trip bridged the decades between Japan's Olympic equestrian medals. The members came to honor Nishi, who died during the brutal Battle of Iwo Jima in 1945, just months before the end of World War II.
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