Torch relay started before Tokyo Summer Games

They appeared in white sports suits at the football training center that had served as the headquarters for the crisis managers of the worst-case scenario during the nuclear disaster in March 2011 following an earthquake and tsunami. Olympic chief Seiko Hashimoto spoke of a “ray of hope” for the world. “The Olympic flame has been waiting for this moment, just like a cherry blossom bud before it blooms.” The flame, which arrived in Japan a year ago, “burned quietly and strongly” in a very difficult time for the whole world, said Hashimoto. Ten years after the disaster, the start of the torch relay in Fukushima was intended to show the world the progress being made in rebuilding the region. The 1,2 kilogram torch was made partly from recycled aluminum that had been used to build emergency shelters after the tsunami. But critics complain that organizers are talking about “recovery” games while tens of thousands of people are still uprooted, most from Fukushima. The strictest security measures apply during the 121-day torch relay. When the first torch runners left the J-Village, hundreds of people lined the streets at a safe distance. Signs asked them to just clap. The public was encouraged to follow the entire torch relay on the Internet. As long as there is no overcrowding, citizens can watch from the side of the road wearing masks near their homes. But they should only clap and not cheer on the runners. If there are excessive crowds of people, the run may be canceled. Many prominent torch runners had withdrawn due to concerns about the spread of the virus. Around 10.000 runners are expected to carry the flame through all 47 prefectures before the games open in Tokyo on July 23rd and are scheduled to run until August 8th. The torch relay is seen as a test of whether the Summer Games with more than 15.000 athletes can actually take place safely for everyone involved, as the organizers repeatedly assert. Japan's Olympic organizers hope that the run can still inspire the country's population for the games. In surveys, a majority of Japanese recently spoke out against hosting the games this year due to the ongoing pandemic. The games and thus also the torch relay were postponed for a year due to the pandemic.

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Torch relay started before Tokyo Summer Games

The torch relay for the summer Olympic Games in Tokyo began in Fukushima, Japan, on Thursday. Due to concerns about the spread of the coronavirus, the ceremony took place at the J-Village in Fukushima without spectators. Members of the Japanese women's national football team kicked things off.

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