2017.11.21

"Shibuya of that day" looking back from the photographs of the past days vol.1
Theme: "Yoyogi Arena"

"Shibuya of that day" is a photo gallery that looks back on the history and transition of the town in Shibuya from the photos of Shibuya in "Old" and "Now". Looking back over the old photos again, you can see the cityscape of Shibuya at the time, the lives of people, fashions of fashion, and so on. And after various transitions, you can see well that you are connected to Shibuya today. In the future, I will compare the photos of Shibuya in "old" and "now" while looking back on the old steps in the city of Shibuya and want to find "new discoveries" and "awareness" from the old photos . This time, I would like to pay attention to "Yoyogi Stadium" which is one of the legacy left by the Tokyo Olympics in 1964 (Showa 39).
Shooting = Yutaka Sato
Yoyogi Stadium is a sports facility composed of "Yoyogi Daiichi Gymnasium" and "Yoyogi Dai Gymnasium" as well as futsal courts. In addition to the volleyball, basketball, figure skating official game, and more recently it is being used as a venue for concerts and events.

If you comprehend the history of the Yoyogi Stadium, it will go back to the Tokyo Olympic Games in 1964 (Showa 39). "The first gymnasium" was constructed as a venue for basketball competition for swimming, dive and "second gymnasium." Until the introduction of the Olympics in the first place, there was a family residence "Washington Heights" for the US military officers who left the side of occupation after the war on the site of 92 ha (270 thousand pyong) including Yoyogi Park. As the postwar rebuilding progressed, as the voice calling for the return of the base in the middle of the capital began to rise, the bidding for the Olympics was decided. In order to secure the construction site of the athlete village and the stadium, return negotiations were done between Japan and the United States, but the conditional aspects such as relocation expenses did not come together and the negotiations did not proceed quite well. Construction work started on February 1, 1963 (Showa 38) and only about a year and a half before the opening of the Olympics. Currently, construction of the "New National Stadium" is proceeding to host the 2020 Olympic Games, but even though it has been shortened due to design problems, etc., we expect a construction period of about 3 years. If you think so, you can easily imagine how "Yoyogi Stadium" famous as Mr. Kenzo Tange's name building was proceeded with the construction work.
Photo provision = Shibuya Ward local photograph preservation party
The above picture is probably taken around March 1964. The first gymnasium is a structure that lays down a ladder (ladder) in the back of the picture. As a result of the search by Mr. Tange, "I want to build a huge space without pillars", a "suspended roof" system was adopted that utilizes the technology of "suspension bridge" and connects the two struts with a wire cable. From this picture it will also be seen that it supports the large roof of the first gymnasium only with the cable of the total length 280 meters. The highest tower in the center is the "second gymnasium" construction site. The site with the sandy mountain, the bulldozer, the prefabricated cabin in front of it is the planned site of the "Tokyo Olympic Broadcast Center". Characters stated as "NHK Broadcast Center First Phase Construction Work" appear on the white right sign at the bottom slightly. Seven months before the opening of the Olympic Games, it seems that the construction work progresses at a rapid pitch, contrary to the fine sunny weather.
Photo provision = Shibuya Ward local photograph preservation party
The next picture is probably taken around July or August 1964. On the right is a new road paved from Harajuku area. Although the buildings of the first and second gymnasium are nearing completion, the mountains and scaffolding of sediment still remain around the building. It turns out to be a picture of the first sunny sky, and a dark cloud is drifting in the sky. I do not feel a slight impatience whether the construction term will be in time before the opening.
Photo provision = Shibuya Ward local photograph preservation party
Perhaps the completion of September 1, 1964 is the third photo. In the 2nd photograph, the road was paved and maintained in the premises which was full of earth and sand, lawn and planting were added, and the Yoyogi Stadium integrated with the 1st and 2nd gymnasium was completed. One month before the opening, I made it at the last minute. In the vicinity of the stadium, the pole where the flag of the world is displayed stands, and the Olympic Games start at last.
Shooting = Yutaka Sato
The last picture was taken from Shibuya Ward Office on October 9, 2015 two years ago. If I saw the date and came with a pin, it was quite Shibuya Tsu. This day is the end date of the work at the old government building in connection with the rebuilding of the government building of Shibuya Ward Office. According to Mr. Sato who photographed photographer, he also recorded this view from the small window on the upper floor of the old government building doubling as a commemorative photo. In the 51st year since the opening of the Tokyo Olympics on October 10, 1964, the appearance of the first and second gymnasium remained unchanged, but the surrounding landscape changed drastically. In front of the gymnasium "Theater (Aia 2.5 Theater Tokyo") was built, the street trees grew big and covered the buildings of the first and second gymnasium, only the big roof of the gymnasium can be seen, only the gym in the back of the picture Mori Sato who knows about the construction time said, "Each time we see the building at the time of construction, the same building But I feel strongly the air beyond the era. "

Over the half a century since the building, Yoyogi Stadium has been closed since July this year (2017) due to renovation work meeting the latest earthquake resistance standards. At the Tokyo Olympic Games in three years, it is decided that it will be used as a venue for handball competitions, Well chair rugby and Wheelchair badminton in the Paralympics, in order to make it in time. The venue of the last competition will shine again in 2020. It is the same stadium which was originally built with a sudden construction, but in this renovation work it will take about two years. I definitely want you to fix it carefully and I want you to be active as an active player forever.

At Shibuya culture's sister site "Shibuya Photo Museum"Special feature "Shibuya's transfiguration Tokyo Olympics 1964"Posting. Please also take a look there also by all means.