Opened in 1964 for the Tokyo Summer Olympics, this sports complex in Yoyogi Park was designed by Kenzō Tange with the engineer Yoshikatsu Tsuboi. It was built in just 18 months.
The First Gymnasium, which held the swimming and diving events, is famous for its suspension roof. Like a suspension bridge, the roof hangs between its supports, sweeping down in great curves over an arena that holds nearly 13,000 people. The smaller Second Gymnasium hosted basketball. The design inspired the stadium for the 1972 Munich Olympics.
When Tange won the Pritzker Prize in 1987, the citation called it "among the most beautiful buildings of the 20th century." It hosted handball at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and was named an Important Cultural Property of Japan in 2021.
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