Playback ’04] Shigeo Nagashima’s Passion for Athens… Four months after his emergency hospitalization, “Miracle of Rehabilitation”.

What did “FRIDAY” report 10, 20, and 30 years ago? In “Playback Friday,” we take a look back at the topics that were popular at the time. This time, we bring you “Shigeo Nagashima, Olympic team manager, ‘to Athens,’ and his miraculous rehabilitation” from the July 23, 2004 issue, which was published 20 years ago.

In March 2004, Shigeo Nagashima, then 68, the “Mr.” Nagashima who led Japan’s dream team for the Athens Olympics, was hospitalized in an emergency due to a stroke. Although he was reportedly making a “miraculous recovery,” his condition was still unknown. In July, one month before Athens, Nagashima’s condition became a matter of national concern.

Nagashima’s arms flexed and his legs raised and crossed.

It has been more than four months since Mr. Nagashima suffered a stroke. During that time, he has been recovering well and was able to leave the hospital in mid-May. However, his subsequent condition was shrouded in a thick veil, with only word through his eldest son, Kazushige, and the Giants’ public relations department that his rehabilitation was going well. This magazine caught a glimpse of Mr. Kazushige’s “miraculous rehabilitation.

One day in June, in a room of an ultra-luxury condominium in Tokyo. He was wearing a T-shirt and training pants and sitting on a chair. A walking stick was propped up in his hand. Although his right hand was hanging from his shoulder, he made a fist with his left hand, flexed his arms, and lifted and folded his legs, moving quite aggressively.

His desire to compete in Athens is probably what motivates him. When he was first admitted to the hospital, he did not seem to understand the situation he was in, but now he is actively engaged in rehabilitation. Currently, a physical therapist, an occupational therapist, and a speech therapist are providing onsite rehabilitation services. In addition, we have a thorough team approach to medical care, with the doctor in a management role, nurses, caseworkers, and others holding conferences to decide on policies for treatment and rehabilitation. Since the patient has never been sick, she seems to be itching to move, and sometimes exceeds the normal rehabilitation time,” said an official at the Tokyo Women’s Medical University Hospital.