The Olympic torch relay has set off from the Japanese city of Fukushima, beginning a four-month countdown to the postponed 2020 summer Games in Tokyo.
"For the past year, as the entire world underwent a difficult period, the Olympic flame was kept alive quietly but powerfully," Tokyo 2020 president Seiko Hashimoto said at Thursday’s opening ceremony, which was closed to spectators.
"The small flame did not lose hope, and just like the cherry blossom buds that are ready to bloom, it was waiting for this day," Ms Hashimoto said.
Organisers are billing the games as the "Recovery Olympics," a nod to the 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster that hit the region, as well as the coronavirus pandemic - and today’s runners included many who had fled after the meltdowns at the Fukushima Dai-ichi power plant.
Japan has fared better than most countries during the pandemic, with about 9,000 coronavirus deaths, but Tokyo reported 420 cases on Wednesday, the highest single-day figure this month Polls show the majority of the public is against the Olympics being held as scheduled.
"We will do our utmost in terms of coronavirus measures and continue to work with related areas to contain the spread of infections," Mr Suga said.
About 10,000 runners will take part in the four-month relay, which will go through all of Japan's 47 prefectures.
The relay, which will culminate with the Olympic opening ceremony on July 23, has been hit by several high-profile runner cancellations as celebrities and top-level athletes have pulled out, citing late notice and worries over the pandemic.
Today’s brief, solemn opening ceremony, closed to the public, was held at J-Village in Fukushima, a sports complex converted for several years into a staging ground for workers decommissioning the crippled nuclear power plant.
"For the torch relay viewing, please ensure you are wearing a mask, keep proper distance, don't stand close to each other and support with things like clapping, instead of using a loud voice," an announcer said.
Low-key events featuring Fukushima residents in drum and dance performances were followed by a children's choir before the Olympic flame, flown in from Greece last year and kept alight under 24-hour guard, was used to ignite the torch.
Members of the Japanese national women's soccer team were the first group to run with the flame, wearing white uniforms decorated with red.
"I’m convinced that, under this coronavirus pandemic, the Olympics will surely bring courage and vigour to people in east Japan, where recovery is still halfway through," Norio Sasaki, coach of the women's soccer team that won the 2011 World Cup, said after running the first leg of the relay.
The number of spectators, some waving Olympic flags or banners saying "Fight on," increased throughout the day.
Some runners grinned and posed as they handed off the torch, waving, while others set off to the beat of traditional Japanese drums. One man pushed himself in a wheelchair, the torch mounted in a bracket.
