[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] The torch relay departure event for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, held amid the COVID-19 situation, is expected to take place without general spectators.
According to the Yomiuri Shimbun on the 9th, the organizing committee decided to hold the torch relay departure event at the soccer facility 'J (Jay) Village' in Fukushima Prefecture on the 25th without spectators to prevent COVID-19 infection.
The Tokyo Olympic torch was lit on March 12 last year at the Hera Temple in Olympia, Greece, the birthplace of the ancient Olympics, but the relay within Greece was halted after two days due to the impact of COVID-19 and then handed over to Japan.
The torch arrived at the Air Self-Defense Force base in Miyagi Prefecture on March 20 last year via a special transport flight jointly operated by Japan's two major airlines. Six days later, it was scheduled to depart from J Village and embark on a 121-day journey around all 47 prefectures of Japan.
However, the relay was suspended before departure due to the decision to postpone the Olympics by one year.
Before the postponement decision, the organizing committee had prepared a large-scale departure ceremony attended by about 3,000 spectators, including the Prime Minister representing the Japanese government and the Governor of Tokyo representing the host city.
They also planned to promote the Tokyo Olympics as a "Reconstruction Olympics" domestically and internationally by highlighting the symbolism of J Village, where the countermeasures headquarters were established during the early stages of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident following the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, through performances by local children's choirs and traditional arts.
However, considering that the COVID-19 situation has not yet ended, the organizing committee decided to significantly reduce related events for this torch relay departure ceremony and limit attendees to officials only, excluding general spectators.
About 10,000 runners will participate in the torch relay over 121 days. After touring all over Japan, the torch is scheduled to be transferred to the cauldron at the National Stadium, the main venue, during the opening ceremony on July 23.
The organizing committee plans to ensure COVID-19 prevention measures such as maintaining distance and wearing masks during the nationwide relay while allowing local residents to watch.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
