The 1994 Asian Games (1994年アジア競技大会), also known as the XII Asiad and the 12th Asian Games (第12回アジア競技大会) or simply Hiroshima 1994 (広島1994), were held from October 2 to 16, 1994, in Hiroshima, Japan. This was the first Asiad where a non-capital city hosted the event. The theme was to promote peace and harmony among Asian nations, a concept due to the city being the site of the first atomic bomb attack 49 years earlier. Due to the 1991 Gulf War, Iraq was suspended from the games. The games debuted the five Asian former republics of the Soviet Union: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
A total of 6,828 athletes and officials were involved, from 42 countries, competing 34 sports. Debut sports were baseball, karate and modern pentathlon.
The Games’ emblem was an abstract image of a dove, symbol of peace, resembling the letter ‘H’ initial for Hiroshima, reflecting Hiroshima’s desire for peace.
The official mascots were a pair of white doves, Poppo and Cuccu, male and female respectively, representing peace and harmony, designed by well-known manga artist and character designer Susumu Matsushita.
