THE MAINICHI NEWSPAPERS
In 1964 (Showa 39), Tokyo hosts the XVIII Olympic Games. The preparations for this major event include completion of the Shuto Expressway System in Tokyo, the Meishin Expressway linking Nagoya and the Osaka-Kobe region, and the Tokaido Shinkansen "Bullet" train as city and countryside are brought closer together. Large audiences tune in to broadcasts of the athletic events, with spirits now soaring, now falling according to the results. A tremendous number of Japanese probably sigh with relief and wipe the sweat from their hands in front of newly-purchased color television sets after the victory of the Japanese women's volleyball team, dubbed the "Whiz Girls of the Orient."