The site of the 1912 funeral for Emperor Meiji, the historical Meiji Park opened in 1964 as a recreational sports park. It contained the Metropolitan Indoor Swimming Pool and the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium, which were key venues during the Games.
Since 1964, the park has reverted to its original use as an urban sports centre. Statues of the founder of the modern Olympic Games, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, and KanoJigoro – the founder of judo –have been erected in the park to commemorate Tokyo 1964.