1998 Winter Olympics opening ceremony
The opening ceremony of the 1998 Winter Olympics took place at Nagano Olympic Stadium, Nagano, Japan, on 7 February 1998. It began at 11:00 JST and finished at approximately 14:00 JST. As mandated by the Olympic Charter, the proceedings combined the formal and ceremonial opening of this international sporting event, including welcoming speeches, hoisting of the flags and the parade of athletes, with an artistic spectacle to showcase the host nation's culture and history. The Games were officially opened by Emperor of Japan Akihito.
| Date | 7 February 1998 |
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| Time | 11:00 – 14:00 JST (UTC+9) |
| Location | Nagano Olympic Stadium, Nagano, Japan |
| Coordinates | 36.579722°N 138.165556°E |
| Filmed by | 1998 Olympic Radio and Television Organization (ORTO '98) |
| Footage | Nagano 1998 Opening Ceremony - Full Length on YouTube |
| Part of a series on |
| 1998 Winter Olympics |
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Alan Tomlinson, Professor in Leisure Studies at the University of Brighton, argued that the main theme of this opening ceremony is Peace and Harmony. While elements of Nagano's religious and sporting culture are shown throughout the ceremony, it is shown alongside examples of a hopeful wish in a world peace at the end of the 20th century.