Kin-Gin no Hi -- Gold and Silver Day

What Is Kin-Gin no Hi?

August 2nd is "Kin-Gin no Hi" (Gold and Silver Day) in Japan, commemorating the day in 1928 when, at the 9th Olympic Games in Amsterdam, Mikio Oda won Japan's first-ever gold medal in the triple jump, and Kinue Hitomi won Japan's first medal by a woman -- a silver in the women's 800 meters.

A Milestone Etched Into Japanese Sports History

On this single day, two Olympic "firsts" for Japan were achieved simultaneously.

• Mikio Oda: won the triple jump final with a distance of 15.21 meters, becoming Japan's first-ever Olympic gold medalist
• Kinue Hitomi: ran the women's 800 meters in 2:17.6 for the silver medal -- Japan's first female Olympian and its first female medalist
• Its significance: a historic day proving that Japanese sports, for both men and women, had reached world-class level

Who Were Mikio Oda and Kinue Hitomi?

Mikio Oda went on to a distinguished career in the triple jump and is remembered as a foundational figure in Japanese track and field. Kinue Hitomi is still celebrated today as a pioneer who forged a path forward at a time when women's sports had yet to gain broad social acceptance.

Tips for Marking This Day

• Learn about the achievements and lives of Mikio Oda and Kinue Hitomi
• Learn about the history of the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics
• Trace the history of the development of women's sports in Japan
• Learn the rules of jumping events and middle-distance running in track and field

Two Challenges, by a Man and a Woman, Bearing Fruit on the Same Day

The first gold medal for a Japanese man and the first medal for a Japanese woman arriving on the very same day was more than coincidence -- it symbolized the dawn of a new era for Japanese sports. Let August 2nd be a day to reflect on the path these two pioneers forged.