Sporting Witness
Sporting Witness
'The Witches of the Orient' - Japan's Volleyball Heroines
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March 17, 2018
9 minutes
Available for over a year
In 1964, the Japanese women's volleyball team became national heroes after winning gold at their home Olympics in Tokyo. Nicknamed the Witches of the Orient, the players were put through a punishing training regime by a former platoon commander in the Japanese imperial army in order to beat the Soviet Union. Their triumph came to symbolise the re-emergence of Japan after World War II. Emily Williams reports.
(Photo: The Japanese team with their coach in 1964. Credit: Getty Images)