Let The Games Begin!
The ringing of an ancient temple bell marked the start of the opening ceremony of the 18th Winter Olympic Games in the Japan Alps.
Broadcast from Nagano's most revered religious site, the Buddhist Zenkoji Temple in the center of the city, the sound of the bells briefly sent a hush over 50,000 spectators crammed into the Games stadium on the outskirts of Nagano.
But within seconds, as the sound of the 329-year-old bronze bell faded away, the event burst into noisy life with a rush into the arena of hundreds of opening ceremony participants dressed in traditional "Happy Coats."
Brilliant sunshine smiled on the open air arena for a ceremony set to feature foot-stomping sumo wrestlers driving away evil spirits, a global sing-along of Beethoven's "Ode to Joy," the monumental finale of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, and children performing Andrew Lloyd Webber's "When Children Rule the World."
Nestled among snow-capped mountains and the confluence of three icy clear rivers, Nagano, four hours drive from Tokyo, was decked out in its finest for the biggest event in its history.
It was the third time the Olympics had come to Japan following the 1964 Summer Games in Tokyo and the 1972 Winter Games in Sapporo.
It is estimated the public debt for the Nagano Olympics will amount to a crushing $26,153 per household, according to figures made public by a citizens group called "People Who Don't Want the Olympics."
Certainly, the plummet of the yen, Japan's currency, has exacerbated what is always an immense challenge for any city putting together an Olympics, be it Nagano or Atlanta.
Yet there is tremendous joy awaiting the Opening Ceremonies at Minami Nagano Sports Park, which was built to look like the opening blossoms of a flower.
Perhaps if one is a dignitary with the International Olympic Committee or a high-ranking government official, there is a temptation to think the Ceremonies are about official world matters of pomp, circumstance and ritual.
But most observers would say the morning ceremony in Japan is a celebration for the athletes.
Some athletes here are well-compensated, and have discovered a world of endorsements or financial support in the homeland. There are far more who have made huge financial and personal sacrifice for the right to be walking inside this stadium.
One of those stories of personal sacrifice sits squarely with four-time U.S. speed skater Eric Flaim. Flaim will be the flagbearer for the United States delegation.
He expressed amazement at his selection when asked to reflect on it Friday.
"I remember how cold it was in Norway," he said of his Opening Ceremonies walk four years ago in Lillehammer. "I could remember the thrill of the crowd. The joy of being there with the other athletes kind of overwhelms you."
A sumo wrestler will accompany each country on its march. The United States will be graced by the 450-pound Musashimaru who was raised in Hawaii before becoming a celebrity in Japan. His English is slightly broken but good enough to show that he's got one of the better comedic instincts in town.
Asked how he maintains his weight, Musashimaru said, "Eat. Go to sleep. Train. Come back home. Eat. Go to sleep. Train."
Musashimaru would like, in all sincerity, for sumo wrestling to become an Olympic sport. It is hugely popular in Japan. It is the national sport. But IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch said Friday the chances for sumo becoming part of the Olympics are remote.
That is an issue for another day. Day One of the Winter Games will celebrate not only sport but the simplicity, respect for nature and peaceful traditions of Nagano.
It could prove to be a welcome break from the over-commercialism in Atlanta. The Opening Ceremonies themselves will steer sharply from the sense of big-show theatrics that seemed so thoroughly American in Atlanta.
The athletes will provide the best memories. Everyone watching the Opening Ceremonies will hope the troubles of the external world -- the Iraqi crisis, the Asian monetary crisis, the White House sex scandal -- can stay in the background while the competitors make their statement.
For two weeks, the world might indeed be more concerned with the quadruple-jump capabilities of Canada's Elvis Stojko, or the one-man Olympic delegation from Mongolia, or the men's hockey competition that includes some of the greatest who've ever played that sport.
For the privilege and burden of being so close to it all, Nagano is paying dearly. When it secured the Games, the cost was $16 million -- when the yen was stronger. The yen's collapse will make the Olympics far more expensive to Nagano in the long run.
And somehow, it might all be worth it.
CBS Sports will provide complete coverage of the Winter Olympic Games in Nagano. Check your local TV listing for details. Full coverage is also available from CBS Sportsline.