A contingent of about 100 athletes was greeted by His Imperial Highness Prince Akishino, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Japanese Olympic Committee President Tsunekazu Takeda, as well as other representatives from Government, business and sport.

The Japanese team at next month's Olympics is captained by ski jumper Noriaki Kasai.

Seiko Hashimoto, bronze medallist at the 1992 Albertville Games and seven-time Olympian, has been appointed as Chef de Mission and believes the Japanese team can secure a record medal haul in Sochi, surpassing the 10 medals, including five gold, won on home turf in Nagano in 1998.

"It is my duty to believe in the abilities of the athletes and build up a support system to help them go for their goals," she said.

"If I can do that it is undoubtedly possible for us to exceed the number of medals we won in Nagano."

International Olympic Committee member President Takeda, who was among about 2,000 at the event in the Grand Prince Hotel New Takanawa in Tokyo, said: "In this milestone year to celebrate a half-century since the first Tokyo Olympics were held, we also acknowledge a century of Japanese participation in the Olympics.

"Remembering this weight of history, I am confident that all members of Team Japan will perform to the peak of their abilities while also giving full consideration to the concepts of fair play and the integrity of sport."

Head of Japan's Winter Olympic delegation Seiko Hashimoto (centre) hands the national flag to the Japan team flag bearer during the ceremony ©AFP/Getty Images



Japan left Vancouver in 2010 with three silver and two bronze medals.

In Turin in 2006, the country won a single medal, a gold, courtesy of figure skater Shizuka Arakawa.

"My earnest desire is that Japanese athletes are able to demonstrate the vibrancy of Japan and the power of sport to bring people around the world closer together," added Takeda.

"I look forward to each individual athlete contributing to the further empowerment of Japan, where the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics will take place in six years' time."

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