I never expected to receive a Hallowe’en card from Japan ! It’s a 3D card, and the sender decorated the back with a lovely orange border, Hallowe’en-themed stickers, and even matching stamps. She also has beautiful penmanship. The sender is involved in many sports and mentions karate as her favourite. Sapporo was the host city for the 1972 Winter Olympics —the first Winter Games held outside North America and Europe. I hadn’t realized that Sapporo had also beaten out Banff and Calgary in the bidding process. Calgary would later go on to host the 1988 Winter Olympics . The 1972 Sapporo Games featured 35 National Olympic Committees, with just over 1,000 athletes competing in 35 events across six sports and 10 disciplines. By comparison, the recent 2026 Winter Olympics will include around 92 committees, nearly 2,900 athletes, and 116 events in eight sports and 16 disciplines. The Soviet Union topped the medal table with 16 medals (8 gold, 5 silver, and 3 bronze), followed by East Ger...