title: Japan at the 1956 Winter Olympics
text: # Japan at the 1956 Winter Olympics
  
  Japan competed at the 1956 Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. Chiharu Igaya won the nation's first ever medal and the first ever Asian champion at the Winter Olympic Games.
  
  ## Medalists
  
  | Medal | Name | Sport | Event | Date |
  | - | - | - | - | - |
  | Silver | Chiharu Igaya | Alpine skiing | Men's slalom | January 31 |
  
  ## Alpine skiing
  
  ### Men
  
  | Athlete | Event | Race 1 | Race 1 | Race 2 | Race 2 | Total | Total |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | Athlete | Event | Time | Rank | Time | Rank | Time | Rank |
  | Chiharu Igaya | Downhill | | | | | DSQ | – |
  | Susumu Sugiyama | Downhill | | | | | 3:39.1 | 28 |
  | Susumu Sugiyama | Giant Slalom | | | | | 3:40.8 | 45 |
  | Chiharu Igaya | Giant Slalom | | | | | 3:15.6 | 11 |
  | Susumu Sugiyama | Slalom | 1:51.0 | 38 | 2:26.0 | 37 | 4:17.0 | 33 |
  | Chiharu Igaya | Slalom | 1:30.2 | 6 | 1:48.5 | 2 | 3:18.7 | |
  
  ## Cross-country skiing
  
  ### Men
  
  | Event | Athlete | Race | Race |
  | - | - | - | - |
  | Event | Athlete | Time | Rank |
  | 15 km | Tatsuo Miyao | 56:59 | 48 |
  | 30 km | Tatsuo Miyao | 1'55:40 | 28 |
  | 50 km | Tatsuo Miyao | 3'25:47 | 25 |
  
  ## Nordic combined
  
  Events:
  
  * normal hill ski jumping (Three jumps, best two counted and shown here.)
  * 15 km cross-country skiing
  
  | Athlete | Event | Ski Jumping | Ski Jumping | Ski Jumping | Ski Jumping | Cross-country | Cross-country | Cross-country | Total | Total |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | Athlete | Event | Distance 1 | Distance 2 | Points | Rank | Time | Points | Rank | Points | Rank |
  | Hiroshi Yoshizawa | Individual | 69.5 | 76.5 | 210.5 | 5 | DNF | – | – | DNF | – |
  | Koichi Sato | Individual | 68.0 | 65.5 | 191.5 | 23 | 1'08:21 | 193.400 | 35 | 384.900 | 33 |
  
  ## Ski jumping
  
  | Athlete | Event | Jump 1 | Jump 1 | Jump 1 | Jump 2 | Jump 2 | Jump 2 | Total | Total |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | Athlete | Event | Distance | Points | Rank | Distance | Points | Rank | Points | Rank |
  | Koichi Sato | Normal hill | 68.0 | 91.0 | 36 | 66.0 | 87.5 | 41 | 178.5 | 39 |
  | Hiroshi Yoshizawa | Normal hill | 80.5 | 106.5 | 9 | 74.0 | 98.5 | 18 | 205.0 | 13 |
  
  ## Speed skating
  
  ### Men
  
  | Event | Athlete | Race | Race |
  | - | - | - | - |
  | Event | Athlete | Time | Rank |
  | 500 m | Kiyotaka Takabayashi | 43.6 | 30 |
  | 500 m | Taketsugu Asazaka | 43.1 | 22 |
  | 500 m | Yoshitaki Hori | 42.8 | 17 |
  | 500 m | Shinkichi Takemura | 42.4 | 11 |
  | 1500 m | Yoshiyasu Gomi | 2:19.2 | 39 |
  | 1500 m | Shinkichi Takemura | 2:18.3 | 36 |
  | 1500 m | Yoshitaki Hori | 2:15.9 | 23 |
  | 1500 m | Taketsugu Asazaka | 2:15.4 | 21 |
  | 5000 m | Yoshitaki Hori | 8:53.5 | 46 |
  | 5000 m | Taketsugu Asazaka | 8:23.6 | 28 |
  | 5000 m | Yoshiyasu Gomi | 8:22.2 | 27 |
  | 10,000 m | Yoshiyasu Gomi | 17:35.9 | 23 |
  | 10,000 m | Taketsugu Asazaka | 17:35.3 | 22 |
  