Tokyo Olympic torch relay to pass through Japan's disaster-hit areas | Inquirer Sports

Tokyo Olympic torch relay to pass through Japan’s disaster-hit areas

/ 03:36 PM June 01, 2019

The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games torch for the torch relay is displayed in Tokyo on March 20, 2019. (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP)

The 2020 Tokyo Olympic torch relay will commence on March 26 in disaster-hit Fukushima and pass through other areas in north-east Japan devastated by the 2011 tsunami, organizers said Saturday.

The Olympic flame will begin its journey around Japan at the J-Village sports training center in Fukushima that housed workers battling to remove radioactive waste after the nuclear crisis triggered by the killer tsunami.

Article continues after this advertisement

It will then cross all of Japan’s 47 prefectures, traveling to 857 municipalities, and pass by many iconic landmarks over a period of 121 days.

FEATURED STORIES

Around 98 percent of Japan’s population live within one hour by car or train of the proposed route, Tokyo organizers added.

The torch relay will take in World Heritage sites such as Mt Fuji and the Miyajima shrine in Hiroshima prefecture famous for its “floating” gate.

Article continues after this advertisement

It will also visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, dedicated to the victims of the world’s first atomic bombing in 1945, before arriving at Tokyo’s new Olympic stadium to cap the opening ceremony on July 24.

Article continues after this advertisement

More than 18,000 people were killed or went missing after a 9.0-magnitude earthquake caused a massive tsunami that smashed into Japan’s northern Tohoku region and led to the meltdown of three reactors at the Fukushima nuclear plant.

Article continues after this advertisement

The fallout from the world’s worst nuclear accident in 25 years forced more than 470,000 people to be evacuated.

Tokyo beat Madrid and Istanbul in the race to host the 2020 Olympics, including the reconstruction of disaster-hit areas in its candidature file.

Article continues after this advertisement

The Flame Lighting Ceremony is scheduled to take place in Ancient Olympia, home of the ancient Games in Greece, on March 12 when a high priestess will ignite the Olympic flame by using the sun’s rays and a parabolic mirror.

The Greek leg of the torch relay will then run for eight days before the flame is handed to Tokyo 2020 in Athens on March 19.

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our daily newsletter

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

TAGS: Japan, Olympics, Sports

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our newsletter!

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

© Copyright 1997-2024 INQUIRER.net | All Rights Reserved

This is an information message

We use cookies to enhance your experience. By continuing, you agree to our use of cookies. Learn more here.