The Japan men's national artistic gymnastics team is a sport group governed by Japan Gymnastics Association and represents Japan in international gymnastics competitions and multi-sports events. Followed the establishment of All Japan Gymnastics Federation in 1930, the team first appeared at the 1932 Summer Olympics and gradually became the major force till this day. For nearly two decades, from 1960 to 1978, Japanese men was dominant and won every gold medal at the Olympics and World Championships.

History

1930-1958: Establishment to first medals The Japanese first appeared internationally at the 1932 Summer Olympics, following the establishment of All Japan Gymnastics Federation on April 13, 1930, and finished 5th. They returned 4 years later in Berlin, Germany and got 9th place. As the result of the World War II, Germany, Japan and Bulgaria, under Allied military occupations, were not allowed to send athletes to London.

The breakthrough came in 1952 when Japanese gymnasts achieved 4 medals at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki. Tadao Uesako brought home a silver in floor and a bronze in vault. Another two vault medalists were Masao Takemoto and Takashi Ono, winning silver and bronze respectively. The team made its debut at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in 1954 and immediately achieved success, winning silver in Group All-around, their first world-level medal in the discipline. Takemoto became the champion in Floor, also the country first gold medal, and bronze in Parallel Bars.

Japan's performances in men's gymnastics improved incredibly at the 1956 Olympics, with 11 medals in total. While securing their position as 2nd best team in the world, winning silver in Group All-around, they also achieved first Olympic gold medal, with Takashi Ono being the champion in Horizontal Bar. Ono was also tied with Viktor Chukarin as the most decorated male gymnasts at the Games, winning silvers in All-around and Pommel Horse, and a bronze in Parallel Bars. Other successful Japanese gymnasts in individual disciplines were Masao Takemoto, winning 3 bronzes, Masumi Kubota, a silver in Parallel Bars and a bronze in Rings, and Nobuyuki Aihara, a bronze in Floor.

Ono and Takemoto led team Japan to defend their second place at the 1958 World Championships, with each of them winning 5 and 4 individual medals respectively. Takemoto successfully achieved another gold in Floor, and added a Vault silver and Horizontal Bar bronze to his collection. Ono received 3 silvers in All-around, Floor, Parallel Bars and a bronze in Vault. Another individual medal was a silver in Rings achieved by Nobuyuki Aihara.

1960-1978: World Superpower For nearly 30 years, Japan dominated men's gymnastics, winning every team competition from 1960 Summer Olympics to 1978 World Championships. During this golden age, many gymnasts rose to prominent and achieved overwhelming success. Despite the World Championships only be held every four year, multiple legends appeared and became some of the most decorated gymnasts in the history. Notable names could be mentioned are Sawao Kato, who's holding the record of most Olympics gold medals, Akinori Nakayama, most Olympic and World victories until being surpassed by Kohei Uchimura in 2016, Eizo Kenmotsu, 24 medals including 10 gold, Mitsuo Tsukahara, 15 medals with 9 gold, Yukio Endo, 8 victories and 17 times being on the podium, Takashi Ono, whose glory continued until 1964 Summer Olympics, Shigeru Kasamatsu, Haruhiro Yamashita, Shuji Tsurumi, Nobuyuki Aihara, Takashi Mitsukuri,...

1960 Summer Olympics

Japan defeated the USSR in Team All-around for the first time, ending a decade of Soviet domination in the discipline. Takashi Ono brought home two more gold medals in Vault and horizontal bar, as well as an all around silver, and two bronzes in rings and parallel bars, respectively. Nobuyuki Aihara also won the floor, and other 2 medals were achieved by Masao Takemoto, with a silver in horizontal bar, and Shuji Tsurumi, the pommel horse bronze medalist. In total, Japanese team won 9 medals, 2 less than 4 years ago, but 3 more gold, jumping to second place with only 2 behind the USSR.

Gymnasts Team AA Takashi Ono 4 6 Nobuyuki Aihara 7 26 5 9 4 13Masao Takemoto 5 14 26 8 7 6 Shuji Tsurumi 4 13 9 6 8 8Yukio Endo 5 10 10 12 5 7 4Takashi Mitsukuri 9 4 4 12 8 19 9

1962 World Championships

At the World Championships 2 years later in Prague, Japan surpassed the USSR, climbing to the first on men's medal table. They continued the victory in team, while also being successful in individual events, winning another 3 gold, 4 silver and 3 bronze. Yukio Endo was the biggest star by reaching the podium in every category except for pommel horse. He shared the victory in floor with the reigning Olympic Champion and compatriot Nobuyuki Aihara, getting silvers in individual all-around, rings and horizontal bar, bronzes in vault and parallel bars. Takashi Ono adding another gold in horizontal bar to his collection. Another 2 medal of the Japanese team were a silver from the later Olympic and world vault champion, Haruhiro Yamashita and a bronze in pommel horse by Takashi Mitsukuri.

Gymnasts Team AA Yukio Endo Takashi Ono 4 5 5 5 Nobuyuki Aihara 12 4 Haruhiro Yamashita 7 4 4 Takashi Mitsukuri 6 4Shuji Tsurumi 9

1964 Summer Olympics

When Japan hosted their first Olympics in 1964, their male gymnasts won big at home. The Japanese men achieved the total of 5 gold medals, more than the whole Soviet team, male and female, combined. The defending Olympic and world champion successfully secured the top position in team, with the exact score different like 4 years ago, 2.500. Yukio Endo won the first gold medal in all-around for Japan, while his compatriot Shuji Tsurumi got the silver. The two men also achieved 2 other medals each, with Endo winning gold parallel bars and silver in floor, and Tsurumi getting 2 silvers in parallel bars & pommel horse. in vault, the defending world runner-up Haruhiro Yamashita became the Olympic champion, and Takuji Hayata bought Japan the first victory in rings.

Gymnasts Team AA Yukio Endo 17 6 6 5Haruhiro Yamashita 6 7 4 21 7 7Takuji Hayata 8 7 7 16 10 12Shuji Tsurumi 9 5 4 21Takashi Ono 11 14 7 9 14 25 6Takashi Mitsukuri 9 5 6 14 24 13 11

1966 World Championships

Japan showed their domination rival at the 1966 World Championships by winning 13 medals, including 4 golds, 5 silvers and 4 bronzes. Akinori Nakayama was the biggest star with 3 championship titles in team, floor, parallel bars, as well as a silver in rings and 2 bronzes in all-around and vault. In total, he won the same number of medals as the Soviet men, also the number of gold medals. The defending Olympic champion in vault, Haruhiro Yamashita successfully became the world champion in the same apparatus. All other 4 Japanese gymnasts were also on the podium in individual events. Yukio Endo won 2 silvers in floor and horizontal bar. Takeshi Kato got a silver in vault and a bronze in pommel horse. Takashi Mitsukuri helped Japan achieve the podium sweep in horizontal bar. Shuji Tsurumi, the all-around runner-up, also qualified for all 6 apparatus finals. However, an injury happened in rings performance caused him to withdraw from the competition.

Gymnasts Team AA Akinori Nakayama Haruhiro Yamashita 10 Yukio Endo 7 4 Takeshi Katō 6 4 4 Shuji Tsurumi 6 5 6 6 6 6Takashi Mitsukuri 8

1968 Summer Olympics

Gymnasts Team AA Akinori Nakayama 12 5 Sawao Kato 8 7 7 7Yukio Endo 8 11 26 8 9 6Takeshi Katō 5 20 5 4 4 11Eizo Kenmotsu 4 6 5 7 6 5 Mitsuo Tsukahara 18 4 53 4 27 74 11

1970 World Championships

Gymnasts Team AA Akinori Nakayama 6 Eizo Kenmotsu 4 5 Mitsuo Tsukahara 5 Takeshi Katō 8 4 Takuji Hayata 7 4 Fumio Honma 6 4 6

1972 Summer Olympics

Gymnasts Team AA Sawao Kato 6 4 4 Akinori Nakayama 7 12 5 5Mitsuo Tsukahara 8 8 34 71 11 Eizo Kenmotsu 4 5 4 4Shigeru Kasamatsu 5 4 12 7 Teruichi Okamura 11 12 29 9 54 14 10

1974 World Championships

Gymnasts Team AA Shigeru Kasamatsu 4 Eizo Kenmotsu 5 Hiroshi Kajiyama 4 4 Mitsuo Tsukahara 5 4 6Fumio Honma 12 Sawao Kato

1976 Summer Olympics

Gymnasts Team AA Mitsuo Tsukahara 8 8 9 Sawao Kato 5 5 6 7 8Eizo Kenmotsu L 6 5 15 17 Hiroshi Kajiyama 5 12 7 12 L 10Shun Fujimoto INJ 14 29 15 INJ INJ INJHisato Igarashi L 29 11 29 19 10 7

1978 World Championships

Gymnasts Team AA Shigeru Kasamatsu 7 8 4 Eizo Kenmotsu 6 8 8Junichi Shimizu Hiroshi Kajiyama 5 Mitsuo Tsukahara Shinzo Shiraishi

1979-1992: Declining Results 1979 World Championships Gymnasts Team AA Koji Gushiken 7 4 4 Hiroshi Kajiyama 9 6 Shigeru Kasamatsu 6 6 7 Nobuyuki Kajitani 7Eizo Kenmotsu Toshiomi Nishikii 15

1981 World Championships Gymnasts Team AA Koji Gushiken 7 6Nobuyuki Kajitani 9 7 5 Koji Sotomura 7 Kyoji Yamawaki Kiyoshi Goto 5 4Toshiro Kanai

1983 World Championships Gymnasts Team AA Koji Gushiken 7 5 Koji Sotomura 17 8 4 Nobuyuki Kajitani 7 Noritoshi Hirata 8 Shinji Morisue 7 4Mitsuaki Watanabe 7

1984 Summer Olympics Gymnasts Team AA Koji Gushiken 8 21 5 Shinji Morisue 16Q, L 13 34 33 35 Nobuyuki Kajitani 8 36 6 9 16 37Koji Sotomura 25Q, L 43 30 25 31 25Noritoshi Hirata 9 30 15 25 32 14 12Kyoji Yamawaki 29Q, L 9 65 6 16 15 45

1985 World Championships

Gymnasts Team AA Koji Gushiken 4 13 8 Koji Sotomura 4 11 8 Hiroyuki Konishi 4 12 5Kyoji Yamawaki 4 6 Mitsuaki Watanabe 4 Shigemitsu Kondo 4

1987 World Championships

Gymnasts Team AA Koichi Mizushima 5 10 7 5 Naoyuki Terao 5 21 Hiroyuki Konishi 5 32 Morimasa Honda 5 Yukihiro Hayase 5 Shinji Kanda 5

1988 Summer Olympics

Gymnasts Team AA Yukio Iketani 8 22 21 7 29 9Hiroyuki Konishi 37 51 19 46 46 50 35Koichi Mizushima 10 19 4 21 26 18 12Daisuke Nishikawa 13 47 51 17 23 8 5Toshiharu Sato 26 30 12 21 26 18 56Takahiro Yameda 44 68 36 39 60 29 38

1989 World Championships

Gymnasts Team AA Toshiharu Sato 4 12 8 6 7 Yukio Iketani 4 4 Yoshikazu Nakamura 4 18 Daisuke Nishikawa 4 Hiroyuki Kato 4 Masayuki Matsunaga 4

1991 World Championships

Gymnasts Team AA Yukio Iketani 4 13 6 6 8Yoshiaki Hatakeda 4 10 4 6 Daisuke Nishikawa 4 7 4 Takashi Chinen 4 Masayuki Matsunaga 4 Yutaka Aihara 4

1992 World Championships

Gymnasts Team AA Yutaka Aihara 4 Yukio Iketani 9 5Hikaru Tanaka 5 16 Yoshiaki Hatakeda 6 6 Daisuke Nishikawa 9

1992 Summer Olympics

Gymnasts Team AA Yutaka Aihara 21 5 35 36 8 35 46 Takashi Chinen 27 24 11 31 27 18 17Yoshiaki Hatakeda 15 36 5 76 53 13 55Yukio Iketani 23 12 7 23 12 67Masayuki Matsunaga 35 27 80 27 17 17Daisuke Nishikawa 17 47 51 17 23 8 5

1993-2002: Deeply Struggling

1993 World Championships

Gymnasts Team AA Hikaru Tanaka 16 16 17 27 41 45 20Takashi Chinen 32 56 22 61 79 42 22Daisuke Nishikawa 38 10 95 34 44 16 30

1994 World Championships

Gymnasts Team AA Hikaru Tanaka 5 11 Daisuke Nishikawa 5 45 Masayuki Matsunaga 5 Toshiharu Sato 5 Takehiko Ono 5 Yoshiaki Hatakeda 5 13 Masayoshi Maeda 5 Masanori Suzuki 8 6

1995 World Championships

Gymnasts Team AA Yoshiaki Hatakeda 6 7 Daisuke Nishikawa 14 Hikaru Tanaka 13 5 7 Toshiharu Sato Masayuki Matsunaga Hiromasa Masuda Masayoshi Maeda

1996 World Championships

Gymnasts Team AA Masanori Suzuki 12

1996 Summer Olympics

Gymnasts Team AA Naoya Tsukahara 10 12 14 28 48 23 19 30Hikaru Tanaka 10 19 40 24 58 40 17 23Yoshiaki Hatakeda 10 15 36 5 76 53 13 55Toshiharu Sato 10 29 54 29 59 32 38 60Shigeru Kurihara 10 44 37 81 17 58 61 82Takashi Uchiyama 10 54 44 83 69 90 72 69

1997 World Championships

Gymnasts Team AA Kenichi Fujita 4 35 Yoshiaki Hatakeda 4 11 5Takuya Kishimoto 4 Shigeru Kurihara 4 Naoya Tsukahara 4 Yoshihiro Saito 4 8

1999 World Championships

Gymnasts Team AA Naoya Tsukahara 4 Yoshihiro Saito 4 15 8 4Akihiro Kasamatsu 4 17 Kenichi Fujita 4 Mutsumi Harada 4 Tatsuya Yamada 4

2000 Summer Olympics