The games were canceled ( not held ) because of the start of the war between Japan and China , the Second Sino-Japanese War , in 1937 . Sapporo gave the games back to the control of the International Olympic Committee ( IOC ) in July 1938 . Sapporo was selected to be the host of the fifth edition Winter Olympics scheduled February 3-12 , 1940 , but Japan gave the Games back to the IOC in July 1938 , after the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937 .