After the 17-day extravaganza of the London Olympics, the Japanese delegation - which gave the country excitement and insomnia on a daily basis - made a triumphant return home on Tuesday.

At a welcome ceremony in Tokyo, Japan Olympic Committee president Tsunekazu Takeda proudly stated that the athletes and staff gave their all in their respective events at the games, giving the nation its all-time best total of 38 medals and 80 top-eight finishes.

"You impressed not just the Japanese people, but the rest of the world as well," Takeda told the delegation. "You unified the Japanese people."

Former Olympian and vice leader of the delegation, Seiko Hashimoto, said at a news conference after the ceremony that the remarkable progress by female athletes and Japan's success in team events had to be noted. Of the 38 medals, female athletes contributed 17, while eight came from non-individual events.