Aichi–Nagoya Asian Games 2026: A Massive Sporting Event Returns to Japan

Asia’s Largest Sporting Competition

The Aichi–Nagoya Asian Games are set to take place from September 19 to October 4. According to an August 19 announcement by the Olympic Council of Asia, the competition, which is Asia’s largest, is expected to attract 11,000 athletes and 6,000 officials from 45 countries and regions. It will feature a total of 43 sports, which is more than at the Summer Olympics. Most events will take place in Aichi Prefecture, but others will be held in neighboring Gifu and Shizuoka, as well as Tokyo and Osaka.

The first Asian Games were held in New Delhi, India, in 1951. Following the 1954 games in Manila, the Philippines, they have followed a four-year cycle.

The scale of the games has expanded along with the development of Asia. At the 1951 games in New Delhi, there were 489 athletes. This increased to 1,820 athletes at the Tokyo games in 1958, and by the time of the 1990 Beijing Games, there were 6,122 athletes. The athlete count for the 2026 games in Nagoya is expected to be more than 11,000.

Japan Second in Medal Table at Last Two Games

Over the past three Asian Games, China has topped the medal rankings based on the number of gold medals won, with Japan and South Korea competing for second and third place. The countries in fourth and fifth place have varied from one Asian Games to the next, with India, Indonesia, Uzbekistan, and others making the top five.

In the early years of the Asian Games, back in the 1950s and 1960s, Japan was overwhelmingly dominant. However, China began to rise rapidly around the time of the 1974 Tehran games. At the 1982 New Delhi games, China for the first time overtook Japan as the top medal winner.

Asian Games Medal Rankings

Hangzhou, China (2022)

Jakarta–Palembang, Indonesia (2018)

Incheon, South Korea (2014)

Created by Nippon.com. Rankings are based on the number of gold medals won. In the event of a tie, the number of silver medals is used as the tiebreaker. The 2022 competition was actually held in 2023, due to the pandemic.

Third Time for Japan to Host the Games

The first Asian Games to be held in Japan were the 1958 Tokyo games, which took place six years before the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. Japan was the host for the second time at the 1994 Hiroshima games. This makes the 2026 Aichi–Nagoya games the third Summer Asian Games to be held in Japan.

Japan has hosted the Winter Asian Games four times, with Sapporo hosting in 1986 and 1990, Aomori in 2003, and Sapporo again serving as the venue in 2017.

Over the 75 years since the first competition was held, the Asian Games have grown into a major sporting event that brings together top athletes from across Asia. The Aichi–Nagoya games will mark a new milestone in this history.

The draw for the group stages of the team ball sports at the Aichi–Nagoya Asian Games on July 23, 2026. (© Kyōdō)

Data Sources

• Asian Summer Games, Asian Winter Games, and Asia ready to shine as Aichi–Nagoya to host historic twentieth Asian Games from Olympic Council of Asia

(Translated from Japanese. Banner photo: From left, former professional tennis player Date Kimiko, Gotō Takeru of male idol group INI, and former Japan women’s national football team player Sawa Homare hold their torches over the ceremonial torch plate at the Aichi–Nagoya Asian Games torch-lighting ceremony in Nagoya on August 22, 2026. © Jiji.)