The Olympic flame for the postponed 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics and Paralympics began a Japanese journey in Ishikawa Prefecture on Saturday.
The flame was brought from the Japan Olympic Museum in Tokyo and will travel across 14 prefectures over about four months to boost momentum for hosting the Games.
Kaori Matsumoto, 33, a gold medalist in women's judo at the London Olympics, made an appearance at the ceremony held at the Ishikawa Sports Center in Kanazawa, which is her hometown. She held the lantern with the Olympic flame lit inside.
Ishikawa Gov. Masanori Tanimoto and women's trampoline Olympic hopeful Hikaru Mori, 21, looked on as the Olympic flame was placed on a stand.
"There was a time when we had to be patient," Matsumoto said after the ceremony."But I hope that by being able to see the flame people can smile more."
At a sports event at the center and with onlookers in attendance, the Olympic flame, burning in its lantern, was on display nearby a torch that will be used in the Olympic Torch Relay.
The flame will travel to 73 cities, towns and villages in 14 prefectures, including Hokkaido and Osaka, by March 16 next year.
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