Olympic Torch Relay Kicks Off In Tokyo
The torch relay for the Tokyo Olympics will kick off in the Japanese capital on Friday for the last leg of its journey, with an unusual format.
The relay was originally scheduled to take place on public roads. But all Tokyo municipalities except for the islands decided to reorganize the event into lighting ceremonies to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
On the first day, the Olympic flame will be displayed in a ceremony in Setagaya Ward. Later in the day, another ceremony will be held in the city of Machida to pass the flame from one torch to the next, a process known as "kissing."
Only torchbearers and other people directly involved will be allowed to take part in the events to avoid crowding.
The revamped relay will continue through July 23, the day of the opening ceremony.
The relay started on March 25 in the northeastern prefecture of Fukushima to showcase the recovery from the 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear accident. It then spent 106 days passing through 46 prefectures before arriving in Tokyo.
Organizers have been calling on people to avoid crowding along the route to prevent infections.
But 24 prefectures, or more than half, took further preventive steps.
Eleven prefectures, including Osaka and Hokkaido, canceled the relay on public roads.
Osaka instead allowed torchbearers to carry the flame along a course in a park, while Hokkaido and others held lighting ceremonies.
Thirteen other prefectures, including Ehime and Okinawa, scaled down the relay in such ways as eliminating some public road sections and shortening the routes.
Eleven people involved in the relay in four prefectures have tested positive for the coronavirus. They include a police officer who was controlling traffic.