After a yearlong delay, the Olympic flame is starting its journey across Japan on Thursday. The torch relay will be carried out under tight anti-coronavirus measures through all 47 prefectures.
The relay is scheduled to start from the national training center, called J-Village, in Fukushima Prefecture. It was the base for dealing with the decontamination work of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
A symbol of the Olympics is about to start its journey across Japan on Thursday with the goal of traveling from Fukushima Prefecture, around the country, and finally to Tokyo. The torch relay will pass through all 47 prefectures in the country.
The relay is scheduled to start from the national training center, J-Village, in Fukushima Prefecture. The site served as the base for dealing with the decontamination work of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
Japanese Olympic judo champion Koga Toshihiko died on Wednesday at the age of 53.
People close to him say he underwent cancer surgery last year.
As overseas spectators will not be allowed to enter Japan for this summer's Olympic and Paralympic Games amid public concern over the coronavirus, Tokyo is also asking foreign governments to limit the number of staff accompanying dignitaries viewing the Games.
Heads of state and government are expected to travel to Japan for the opening and closing ceremonies. Among them are President Emmanuel Macron of France, which will host the 2024 Games in Paris.
Top officials responsible for the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics say overseas spectators won't be allowed to attend the Games due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Tokyo 2020 President Hashimoto Seiko said, "Countries around the world, including Japan, are strictly restricting cross-border travel. The current situation makes it difficult to guarantee free entry into Japan from abroad this summer."
News that overseas spectators are not allowed to attend the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics will leave many people disappointed.
Kyla Gardner and her partner live in Australia. They spent 3,000 dollars on tickets, with plans to see 13 different events.
A decision has been made to bar overseas spectators from the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games this summer due partly to the unpredictability of coronavirus variants.
A five-way meeting on Saturday brought together members of the International Olympic Committee, the International Paralympic Committee, the Tokyo Games organizing committee, the Japanese government and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.
There is a growing belief within Japan's government and the ruling parties that it will be difficult to allow spectators from overseas to attend the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.
This is in light of factors, such as the uncertain impact of new coronavirus variants as well as the infection situation at home and abroad.
Organizers of the Tokyo Olympic Games are planning to launch the torch relay without spectators due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The torch relay is scheduled to kick off at the J-Village soccer training center in Fukushima Prefecture on March 25. It will take 121 days for the torch to travel across Japan's 47 prefectures.
The Tokyo Olympic organizing committee has announced a set of measures against the coronavirus for the nationwide torch relay that is due to start next month.
The committee on Thursday released its guidelines for the 121-day long relay, which starts on March 25 in Fukushima Prefecture.
An NHK survey has shown that over 60 percent of para sports organizations in Japan have concerns about the Tokyo Paralympics, which is scheduled to start in six months.
Twenty-five such organizations responded to a survey conducted by NHK earlier this month.
Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide has commented on the appointment of Hashimoto Seiko as the new head of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic organizing committee.
Suga thanked Hashimoto for her hard work as Olympic Minister. He said he expects Hashimoto will do her best to ensure the safety of the Tokyo Games and people both in Japan and abroad as the president of the organizing committee. He said the government will support her thoroughly.
Olympics Minister Hashimoto Seiko is poised to become the next president of the Tokyo Games organizing committee.
The 56-year-old competed in four Winter Games in speed skating and three Summer Games in cycling before deciding to concentrate on politics.
A panel of the Tokyo Olympic organizing committee will hold another meeting on Thursday to speed up the process of picking the committee's new chief. It has decided to ask the minister for the 2020 Games, Hashimoto Seiko, to replace Mori Yoshiro.
The panel held closed-door meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday to narrow down the candidates.