The Olympic rings are back in Tokyo Bay.
They were removed for maintenance four months ago shortly after the Olympics was postponed until next year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The rings arrived on Tuesday after a short cruise from nearby Yokohama and are positioned on a barge in the shadow on Tokyo’s Rainbow Bridge.
The rings — painted blue, black, red, green, and yellow — stand about 15 meters tall and are 33 meters in length.
The rings will be lighted at night and herald the coming of the Olympics, which are to open on July 23, 2021, followed by the Paralympics on Aug. 24.
The rings made their first appearance early in 2020, just a few months before the Olympics was postponed late in March.
Positive sign
The reappearance of the rings is the latest sign that organisers and the International Olympic Committee are increasingly confident that 15,400 Olympic and Paralympic athletes can safely enter Japan during the pandemic.
Different Games
These Olympics are sure to be like no other.
They will hinge partly on the availability of vaccines and rapid testing for COVID-19, and on athletes and other participants following strict rules that could involve quarantines, a limited number of fans in venues, and athletes leaving Japan shortly after they finish their competitions.
Organisers have been vague about exactly how the Olympics will be held. Plans are in flux with dozens of COVID-19 countermeasures being floated involving athletes, fans, and tens of thousands of officials, judges, VIPs, and media and broadcasters.
Protocols should become clearer early in 2021 when decisions must be made about permitting fans from abroad, which will affect revenue from ticket sales.
The meter continues to run on billions in costs, with Japanese taxpayers picking up most of the bills. Reports in Japan this week say the cost of the postponement is about $3 billion.
