The Nagano Olympics: Impacts on Local Community

This study aims at demonstrating the impacts of Sport Mega-Events (SMEs). In Japan, some studies on environmental or fiscal impacts caused by SMEs have been studied. However, few studies address the concrete impacts in a specific area and local community, nor try to investigate the long-lasting effects.

In recent years, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has attached a high value to ‘Olympic legacies.’ However, there are two main concerns regarding the IOC ‘Olympic legacies’. First, these legacies are mostly based on positive effects for the host city/nation, the National Olympic Committee (NOC), other sport-related organizations, and for the IOC itself. Secondly, the ‘Olympic Games Global Impact’ project, launched by the IOC in order to improve the evaluation of the overall impacts is completed within 2 years of the event, and is much too soon to measure the legacy. This study argues that it is important to conduct research for a prolonged period of time in order to capture not only the positive aftermaths of SME, but also to address negative aspects thereby ensuring a more complete understanding.

This study evaluates different aspects of SME impacts through a case study of Hakuba village (Japan) which hosted the Nagano Olympic Games in 1998, and is examined from three angles; the tangible/intangible, positive/negative and planed/unplanned impacts. Especially, the impacts on the tourism industry of Hakuba are discussed in detail. The analysis in this study is based on the questionnaires and interviews conducted with people from the community itself and on a variety of statistical data.