The Olympic torch relay sets off from Fukushima on Thursday without spectators and roadside onlookers beginning a four-month countdown to the summer games in Tokyo, the first-ever organised during a global pandemic.
About 10,000 runners will carry the torch across Japan’s 47 prefectures and far-flung islands, starting from the site of the 2011 quake and tsunami that killed about 20,000 people and sent tens of thousands fleeing radioactive plumes.
The starting ceremony, originally planned for thousands of fans as a celebration of Japan’s recovery – was closed to the public.
Members of the Japanese national women’s soccer team used the Olympic flame, flown in from Greece last year, to light the torch.
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Japan has fared better than most countries during the pandemic, with fewer than 9,000 coronavirus deaths, but Tokyo reported 420 cases on Wednesday, the highest single-day figure this month.
Polls show that the majority of the public is against the Olympics being held as scheduled.
Editor: Paul Akhagbemhe
