Tokyo’s 1964 Olympic legacy: Water under the bridge

Tokyo's origins as a city are deeply rooted in its relationship with water, which helped transform it from a modest fishing village into a thriving capital city, now home to 37 million people, primarily due to adept management of its water resources.

One significant challenge that Tokyo faced in preparing for the 1964 Games was how to deal with critical water pollution problems, not for competitive swimming purposes but for water security, making sure there were sufficient safe water resources accessible for drinking, sanitation, irrigation, industry, and recreation.

The rapid industrialisation and urbanisation of Japan after World War II resulted in severe environmental degradation, especially in Tokyo. The rivers and canals that crisscrossed the capital became contaminated with sewage, garbage and toxic chemicals, all of which imposed health risks to both residents and the international athletes. Moreover, the waterways held cultural and historical significance to the people and city, having been used for transportation, commerce, and recreation for centuries.

To address the water issue, the Tokyo 1964 Games organisers launched a comprehensive plan to clean up its water environment. This involved installing underground pipes, building sewage treatment plants, dredging and widening the waterways, constructing flood control facilities, and relocating industries and residents away from the riversides. The extensive water plan also aimed to restore the aesthetic and ecological value of the waterways, by planting trees and flowers, creating parks and promenades, and reintroducing aquatic and terrestrial animals.

In the same way that Parisians threatened to ‘soil’ the Seine in protest at the EUR 1.4 billion invested in the river’s reopening to public swimming, the relocation of people and industries from Tokyo riversides caused great social and economic disruption, with many resisting the new government policies. Many Tokyo fishermen lost the source of their livelihoods to landfill and concrete. Some locals viewed the elevated highways as unsightly structures that compromised the charm of the older districts underneath, with their construction exacerbating the pollution levels in the city's waterways. It is worth noting too that in 1964, the construction of new flood control facilities and underground pipes reduced the natural flow and connectivity of the Tokyo waterways, affecting the broader ecosystem and biodiversity. Some species of fish and birds disappeared or migrated to other habitats, while invasive species flourished in the altered environment.

Importantly, the subsequent improvement of water quality was not sustainable or reliable as some areas remained polluted or experienced new sources of contamination. The sewage treatment plants at that time could not cope with the increasing volume and complexity of wastewater, and some industries continued to discharge untreated effluent into the waterways. The public awareness campaigns, which were so key to Paris’s contemporary efforts, were not effective enough to change the behaviour and attitudes of many Japanese people at the time.

Tokyo’s waterways in the 1960s had become the victim of its rapid transport infrastructure expansion. Multi-lane highways were built directly above rivers and canals to avoid the cost of purchasing and clearing land. The Nihonbashi River and its beautiful Meiji-era bridge were particularly noticeable victims of this. The city opted to construct over its waterways and fill some canals with rubble or cement. The Shuto Expressway was built on an elevated highway system built over the Nihonbashi River and other waterways in Tokyo. The bullet train and multi-lane express ways were built at breathtaking speeds and, in fact, the Shinkansen was only opened a few days before the opening ceremony in 1964.

At the time, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s public campaign improved the water quality to some extent, but it was still far from ideal. The 1964 Olympic organisers had to take additional measures, such as spraying deodorants, covering the riverbanks with vinyl sheets, and adding chemicals to the water, to make the venues more presentable and safe for the rowing and yachting events. These measures, however, were only temporary and did not resolve the underlying sources of pollution. After the 1964 Games, the water quality deteriorated further, and it took decades of continuous efforts to restore the ecological balance of the river and the bay.

In 2020, Tokyo hosted another Olympic Games, and powerfully showcased its achievements in improving water quality, conservation and climate change management. The city implemented various measures to assure the safety and comfort of the athletes and spectators, such as monitoring the water temperature, salinity, and turbidity, installing underwater screens and air bubble curtains to prevent algae blooms and odours, and deploying eco-boats and drones to collect floating debris and oil.

The Tokyo 2020 Games also highlighted the importance of involving the local communities and stakeholders in the water environment improvement efforts, as they contributed to the maintenance, monitoring, and promotion of the waterways.

Today, the legacy of the 1964 Olympic water quality improvement project is still evident, with Tokyo's rivers and canals still pivotal to the city’s natural environment and function. The water quality has improved over the years, thanks to stricter regulations, technological innovations, and public awareness campaigns. Tokyo's water environment is now considered one of the best among major cities in the world, and a model for other countries to follow.

Sixty years after the 1964 Games, Tokyo is building a new legacy and reclaiming its water ways with lasting environmental impact. In 2017, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government announced a plan to redevelop the Nihonbashi area and restore the view of the Meiji Bridge by 2045, by moving the expressway underground or along the waterfront.

Tokyo is turning a two kilometre section of highway into an elevated green pathway to make the city more walkable and pedestrian friendly. The change of the Shimbashi-Kyobashi highway, or the KK Line, will create the Tokyo Sky Corridor, a green strip in the city centre inspired by the High Line in New York City.

Paris has also embarked on a similar river revival to make the Seine more accessible and attractive. Like Tokyo, only time will tell if it will be successful. Paris hopes to achieve its long-term goal of making the Seine swimmable by 2025, as a powerful symbol of its environmental commitment and urban renewal.

The Seine became polluted over several centuries mainly due to sewage, industrial waste, agricultural runoff, and garbage. As a result, the river suffered from low oxygen levels, invasive species, and diseases. It was declared biologically dead and unfit for any aquatic life when pollution reached its peak in the 1950s and 1960s. For the 2024 Paris Games, the Seine has transformed itself, in part as a venue for the triathlon and marathon swimming, but more famously as a starring role for the Opening Ceremony.

Some sixty years earlier, Tokyo’s waterways were also central to its Games planning, but the outcomes could have not been more different. Despite the controversy, Paris has been much more successful in creating lasting change, improving the water quality and biodiversity of the Seine by building wastewater treatment plants and regulating industrial discharges.

However, sewage is still currently an issue on days with heavy rainfalls, when storm overflows run untreated into the Seine. That said, the cleaning up of any major waterway is a complex and ambitious project that requires careful planning, evaluation and time to balance the ultimate benefits and impacts for the city and its water environment.

Water is a vital resource for cities and their residents, as well as a source of natural beauty, culture, and recreation. Many urban waterways, however, have been degraded by pollution, overexploitation, and neglect. The Olympic and Paralympic Games, backed by a sustainable urban vision, can be one of many opportunities to improve the water quality and sustainability of city waterways, as part of a broader plan for enhancing the Games’ social and environmental value.

Paris 2024 and Tokyo 1964 are two examples of how the Olympics can have different impacts on the water legacy of a host city. Paris has used the Games as a platform to advance its long-term vision of making the Seine swimmable and accessible for all, while also promoting biodiversity and green infrastructure along the riverbanks. Conversely, Tokyo prioritised the development of contemporary infrastructure and transit networks in preparation for the 1964 Games, while overlooking the environmental and societal implications on its water bodies, leading to pollution and community disconnection.

Both cities faced challenges and trade-offs in their efforts to improve their water security and resilience. Paris had to deal with the complex governance and technical issues of managing a large river basin that spans multiple jurisdictions and sectors, as well as the global media criticism of exposing athletes and citizens to contaminated water. Tokyo had to balance the competing demands of water supply, flood control, and ecological restoration, as well as the cultural and historical significance of its heritage as a water city.

The Olympics can be a powerful driver for positive environmental change, but they also require careful planning, evaluation, and participation to deliver equitable and lasting benefits and impacts for the city and its water environment. Knowing the lasting impact of hosting a Games, Brisbane now has the chance to be deliberate and intentional in how they plan the 2032 Games and the legacy it will leave on both the city and the wider region of South East Queensland.