The Paralympic cauldron is to be lit with a purple flame, a color considered by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) to symbolize people with disabilities, at the closing ceremony of the Tokyo Paralympic Games on Sunday, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned.
According to Games officials, the color of the cauldron's flame will be changed from its current orange to purple, as part of a performance meant to shine light on the "diversity and harmony" concept behind the Tokyo Games.
The Tokyo Games were the first to use hydrogen to fuel the Olympic and Paralympic cauldrons. Hydrogen produced at a factory in Namie, Fukushima Prefecture, was chosen to be used for the closing ceremony of the Paralympics, with the aim of showcasing the town's recovery from the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake.
Although hydrogen usually burns clear, new technology made it possible to create colorful flames at the Tokyo Games using additives. The cauldron was calibrated to burn the orange of conventional flames during the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympics, as well as the opening ceremony of the Paralympics.
Ahead of the Tokyo Paralympics, landmarks in Japan and abroad, including the Tokyo Skytree in Sumida Ward, Tokyo, were also illuminated purple as part of the WeThe15 campaign. Launched by the IPC and several international organizations, the campaign seeks to raise awareness of the 15% of the world's population who have disabilities.
IPC President Andrew Parsons is expected to call on the world to help realize a more inclusive society during his address at the closing ceremony to be held at the National Stadium in Shinjuku Ward on Sunday evening.
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