Japan's Olympians returned home from Paris on Tuesday to a heroes' welcome and a meeting with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
A raucous crowd of supporters greeted a group of Olympians as they emerged into an arrival lobby at Narita airport near Tokyo prior to their meeting with the prime minister.
"You resolutely continued to take on challenges. You have inspired everyone, and for that I am truly grateful," Kishida told his guests at the prime minister's office.
Kishida posed for photos with judoka Hifumi Abe, who won his second straight men's 66-kilogram gold medal and with Akari Fujinami, the women's 53-kg wrestling champion.
With 20 gold, 12 silver and 13 bronze, Japan's gold medal and total haul was larger than at any previous overseas Olympics.
Kishida previously spoke with women's 48-kg judo champion Natsumi Tsunoda by telephone on July 28 to congratulate her on winning Japan's first gold medal at the Paris Olympics.
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