|
Host city
| Tokyo
, Japan
|
---|
Countries visited
| Greece, Japan
|
---|
Distance
| 20,000 kilometres (12,000 mi)
|
---|
Theme
| Hope Lights Our Way
|
---|
Start date
| 12 March 2020
(
2020-03-12
)
(Greece)
25 March 2021
(
2021-03-25
)
(Japan relay)
|
---|
End date
| 25 March 2020
(
2020-03-25
)
(Japan)
23 July 2021
(
2021-07-23
)
(Japan relay
)
|
---|
The
2020 Summer Olympics torch relay
was held from 12 March 2020 and ended on 23 July 2021. After being lit in
Olympia, Greece
, the torch was handed over to the Olympic shooting Gold medallist
Anna Korakaki
, who became the relay originating Olympian woman of the 2020 Summer Olympics torch relay.
[1]
It was then transported to
Athens
on 19 March by official airliner
Japan Airlines
. The Japanese leg began in
Fukushima
,
[2]
and is scheduled to end in
Tokyo
's
New National Stadium
, the main venue of the 2020 Olympics. It makes a tour of Japanese cities, including all 47 prefecture capitals.
[3]
The torch is even scheduled to go to two remote island groups which are part of Tokyo.
[4]
The end of the relay was the finale of the
2020 Summer Olympics opening ceremony
on 23 July 2021.
Toyota
,
NTT
,
ENEOS
,
Nippon Life
,
JAL
,
ANA
and
Japan Post Holdings
are the presenting partners of the relay, with the slogan being "Hope Lights Our Way".
[5]
[6]
The torch relay was changed due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
. The planned relay leg through Greece was cancelled, and both the lighting ceremony in
Olympia
and the handover ceremony in
Athens
had no public attendance. The relay was suspended on 25 March 2020, a day before the Japanese relay was due to start, and the torch was moved to Tokyo for exhibition until the relay resumed as planned on 25 March 2021.
[7]
[8]
Torches
[
edit
]
The Olympic torch was designed by
Tokujin Yoshioka
and unveiled 19 March 2019; the design is inspired by
cherry blossoms
, with 5 petal-shaped columns around the tip of the torch, and a rose-gold "sakura gold" color finish. Their construction will incorporate aluminum recycled from unused shelters deployed in the aftermath of the
2011 T?hoku earthquake and tsunami
.
[9]
[10]
Route in Greece
[
edit
]
The traditional lighting ceremony was held on 12 March 2020 at
Olympia, Greece
, and the torch was handed over to the first torchbearer,
Anna Korakaki
. Due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
, it was the first lighting ceremony since
1984
to be held without spectators.
[11]
The handover ceremony was held at
Panathenaic Stadium
in
Athens
on 19 March.
[12]
The torch was to visit 31 cities and 15 landmarks across Greece,
[13]
[14]
[15]
but due to the coronavirus pandemic, it was cancelled.
[16]
On 13 March, a small ceremony was held in Sparta, the notable torchbearer was Scottish actor
Gerard Butler
, known for playing Leonidas in the movie
300
in commemorating with the 2,500th anniversary of the
Battle of Thermopylae
.
[17]
- 12 March 2020:
Olympia
,
Amaliada
,
Pyrgos
,
Kyparissia
,
Kalamata
- 13 March 2020 (rest of the day cancelled):
Sparta
,
Tripoli
,
Nafplio
,
Megara
,
Piraeus
- 14 March 2020 (cancelled):
Kastellorizo
,
Agios Nikolaos
,
Rethymno
,
Chania
- 15 March 2020 (cancelled):
Thermopylae
,
Volos
,
Thessaloniki
,
Chania
- 16 March 2020 (cancelled):
Kavala
,
Alexandroupoli
- 17 March 2020 (cancelled):
Amphipolis
,
Vergina
,
Meteora
- 18 March 2020 (cancelled):
Marathon
,
Sounion
,
Athens
- 19 March 2020:
Panathenaic Stadium
Special display
[
edit
]
As the damage from the
2011 T?hoku earthquake and tsunami
mostly affected three prefectures,
Miyagi
,
Iwate
and
Fukushima
, a special torch display known as "Flame of Recovery" will be held in these three prefectures. The flame first arrived at
Matsushima Air Field
before being displayed at the locations below.
[18]
After the postponement of the Summer Olympics to 2021, the torch display remained in Fukushima for at least a month before subsequently moved to Tokyo. The Olympic Flame would be later placed on display at
Japan Olympic Museum
from 1 September 2020 until 30 November 2020. The restart of the relay took place on 25 March 2021 for the rescheduled Olympics.
[19]
Route in Japan
[
edit
]
The original schedule of the torch relay in Japan was from 26 March to 24 July 2020. After the postponement of the Summer Olympics to 2021, all relays were delayed by 364 days (one day less than a full year to preserve the same days of the week). This change was not announced until 28 September 2020. The following table is taken from the original 2020 schedule:
[20]
Prefecture
|
Route
|
Map
|
Fukushima
|
25 March 2021 (day 1): Naraha to Minamisoma
26 March 2021 (day 2): S?ma to Aizuwakamatsu
27 March 2021 (day 3): Minamiaizu to Koriyama
|
|
Tochigi
|
28 March 2021 (day 4): Ashikaga to Nasukarasuyama
29 March 2021 (day 5): Nasu to Utsunomiya
|
|
Gunma
|
30 March 2021 (day 6): Tatebayashi to Maebashi
31 March 2021 (day 7): Shibukawa to Takasaki
|
|
Nagano
|
1 April 2021 (day 8): Karuizawa to Nagano
2 April 2021 (day 9): Iida to Matsumoto
|
|
Gifu
|
3 April 2021 (day 10): Nakatsugawa to Takayama
4 April 2021 (day 11): Gero to Gifu
|
|
Aichi
|
5 April 2021 (day 12): Seto to Nagoya
6 April 2021 (day 13): Toyohashi to Toyota
|
|
Mie
|
7 April 2021 (day 14): Yokkaichi to Ise
8 April 2021 (day 15): Iga to Kumano
|
|
Wakayama
|
9 April 2021 (day 16): Shing? to Wakayama
10 April 2021 (day 17): Wakayama to Hashimoto
|
|
Nara
|
11 April 2021 (day 18): Goj? to Kashihara
12 April 2021 (day 19): Kawai to Nara
|
|
Osaka
|
13 April 2021 (day 20): Sakai to Suita
14 April 2021 (day 21): Izumi?tsu to Osaka
|
|
Tokushima
|
15 April 2021 (day 22): Miyoshi to Naruto
16 April 2021 (day 23): Kaiy? to Tokushima
|
|
Kagawa
|
17 April 2021 (day 24): Utazu to Kan'onji
18 April 2021 (day 25): Sakaide to Takamatsu
|
|
K?chi
|
19 April 2021 (day 26): K?chi to Sukumo
20 April 2021 (day 27): Nankoku to K?chi
|
|
Ehime
|
21 April 2021 (day 28): Shikokuch?? to Matsuyama
22 April 2021 (day 29): Tobe to Yawatahama
|
|
?ita
|
23 April 2021 (day 30): Beppu to Hita
24 April 2021 (day 31): Kusu to ?ita
|
|
Miyazaki
|
25 April 2021 (day 32): Takachiho to Miyazaki
26 April 2021 (day 33): Miyazaki to Ebino
|
|
Kagoshima
|
27 April 2021 (day 34): Shibushi to Kagoshima
28 April 2021 (day 35): Izumi to Ibusuki
|
|
29?30 April 2021:
Transport via ferry from
Kyushu
to
Okinawa
,
Ryukyu Islands
|
Okinawa
|
1 May 2021 (day 36): Naha to Nago
2 May 2021 (day 37): Tomigusuku to Itoman
|
|
3?4 May 2021:
Transport via ferry from Okinawa Island to Kyushu
|
Kumamoto
|
5 May 2021 (day 38): Hitoyoshi to Yatsushiro
6 May 2021 (day 39): Mashiki to Kumamoto
|
|
Nagasaki
|
7 May 2021 (day 40): Minamishimabara to Nagasaki
8 May 2021 (day 41): Nagayo to Sasebo
|
|
Saga
|
9 May 2021 (day 42): Tara to Karatsu
10 May 2021 (day 43): Kiyama to Saga
|
|
Fukuoka
|
11 May 2021 (day 44): ?muta to Fukuoka
12 May 2021 (day 45): Chikuj? to Kitakyushu
|
|
Yamaguchi
|
13 May 2021 (day 46): Iwakuni to Yamaguchi
14 May 2021 (day 47): Ube to Hagi
|
|
Shimane
|
15 May 2021 (day 48): Tsuwano to ?nan
16 May 2021 (day 49): ?da to Matsue
|
|
Hiroshima
|
17 May 2021 (day 50): Miyoshi to Hiroshima
18 May 2021 (day 51): Hatsukaichi to Matsue
|
|
Okayama
|
19 May 2021 (day 52): Ibara to Okayama
20 May 2021 (day 53): Tamano to Tsuyama
|
|
Tottori
|
21 May 2021 (day 54): Sakaiminato to Kurayoshi
22 May 2021 (day 55): Kotoura to Tottori
|
|
Hy?go
|
23 May 2021 (day 56): Toyooka to Himeji
24 May 2021 (day 57): Kobe to Tamba-Sasayama
|
|
Kyoto
|
25 May 2021 (day 58): Ky?tango to Kameoka
26 May 2021 (day 59): Uji to Kyoto
|
|
Shiga
|
27 May 2021 (day 60): Takashima to ?tsu
28 May 2021 (day 61): K?ka to Nagahama
|
|
Fukui
|
29 May 2021 (day 62): Takashima to Minamiechizen
30 May 2021 (day 63): Echizen to Fukui
|
|
Ishikawa
|
31 May 2021 (day 64): Kaga to Kanazawa
1 June 2021 (day 65): Wajima to Nanao
|
|
Toyama
|
2 June 2021 (day 66): Oyabe to Takaoka
3 June 2021 (day 67): Asahi to Toyama
|
|
Niigata
|
4 June 2021 (day 68): Itoigawa to Minamiuonuma
5 June 2021 (day 69): Nagaoka to Murakami
|
|
Yamagata
|
6 June 2021 (day 70): Nishikawa to Yamagata
7 June 2021 (day 71): Tend? to Sakata
|
|
Akita
|
8 June 2021 (day 72): Yuzawa to Yamagata
9 June 2021 (day 73): Katagami to Kazuno
|
|
Aomori
|
10 June 2021 (day 74): Hirosaki to Aomori
11 June 2021 (day 75): Mutsu to Hachinohe
|
|
12 June 2021:
Transport via ferry from Honshu to Hokkaido
|
Hokkaido
|
13 June 2021 (day 76): Hakodate to Shiraoi
14 June 2021 (day 77): Tomakomai to Sapporo
|
|
15 June 2021:
Transport via ferry from Hokkaido to Honshu
|
Iwate
|
16 June 2021 (day 78): Shizukuishi to Kuji
17 June 2021 (day 79): Iwaizumi to Rikuzentakata
18 June 2021 (day 80): Ichinoseki to Morioka
|
|
Miyagi
|
19 June 2021 (day 81): Kesennuma to Onagawa
20 June 2021 (day 82): Higashimatsushima to Rifu
21 June 2021 (day 83): Yamamoto to Sendai
|
|
22 June 2021:
Transport via land route from T?hoku to southeastern part of Japan
|
Shizuoka
|
23 June 2021 (day 84): Kosai to Shizuoka
24 June 2021 (day 85): Makinohara to Numazu
25 June 2021 (day 86): It? to Fujinomiya
|
|
Yamanashi
|
26 June 2021 (day 87): Nanbu to K?fu
27 June 2021 (day 88): Fuefuki to Fujiyoshida
|
|
Kanagawa
|
28 June 2021 (day 89): Hakone to Fujisawa
29 June 2021 (day 90): Miura to Sagamihara
30 June 2021 (day 91): Kawasaki to Yokohama
|
|
Chiba
|
1 July 2021 (day 92): Kisarazu to Sanmu
2 July 2021 (day 93): Ch?shi to Chiba
3 July 2021 (day 94): Urayasu to Matsudo
|
|
Ibaraki
|
4 July 2021 (day 95): Kashima to Mito
5 July 2021 (day 96): Koga to Tsukuba
|
|
Saitama
|
6 July 2021 (day 97): Koga to Tokorozawa
7 July 2021 (day 98): S?ka to Kumagaya
8 July 2021 (day 99): Kawagoe to Saitama
|
|
Tokyo metropolitan leg
[
edit
]
Ceremony changes
[
edit
]
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and several prefectures declared state of emergency amid
COVID-19
surge, many of the public stages of the relay were truncated to be more ceremonial rather than functional such as alternative events.
[21]
Participants of the relay would carry the torch for about 30 meters before passing the flame to another participant rather than carrying it for long stretches.
For instance, the relay in Osaka prefecture was changed into a private relay without passing spectators at
Expo Commemoration Park
in
Suita
. The relay in
Matsuyama
,
Ehime
was cancelled and changed onto a private relay, while the rest of Ehime Prefecture still had their relays on public roads as planned. Later relays in prefectures affected by COVID-19 as the virus cases increased but changed into a ceremonial lighting ceremony onto the designated final destination.
[22]
End of torch relay
[
edit
]
In December 2018, organizers announced that, similar to what happened at the
2016 Summer Olympics
, two cauldrons were built: one inside the Olympic Stadium and another on the waterfront, near the
Dream Bridge
. The function of the stadium cauldron was merely
scenographic
, to go according to what is established in the
Olympic Charter
. The Dream Bridge cauldron was placed where the flame will burn during the 16 days of the Games. It was lit right after the end of opening ceremony and will be extinguished a few moments before the closing ceremony starts, when the flame will return to the scenographic cauldron inside the stadium and will be burned for its last few moments. The decision to use a public cauldron came from the fact that it would not be possible to maintain the flame burning inside the stadium during the games.
[23]
At the
2020 Summer Olympics opening ceremony
, the flame was transported to
Japan National Stadium
by judoka
Tadahiro Nomura
and wrestler
Saori Yoshida
, then the torch followed by the trio of baseball greats (
Sadaharu Oh
,
Shigeo Nagashima
and
Hideki Matsui
), until they passed to Hiroki Ohashi (大橋博樹
?hashi Hiroki
) and Junko Kitagawa (北川順子
Kitagawa Junko
), a doctor and a nurse helped to save lives during the pandemic as they carried the flame to Paralympian and wheelchair marathoner
Wakako Tsuchida
as passed to a group of students from
Iwate
,
Miyagi
and
Fukushima Prefectures
who were born before the T?hoku earthquake and tsunami until they handed the torch to tennis player
Naomi Osaka
, who would go on to light the
Olympic cauldron
; during the Olympics, Osaka would compete for Japan in the women's tennis competition before being eliminated in the third round.
[24]
[25]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"Anna Korakaki chosen to be the first torchbearer of the Tokyo 2020 Torch relay - Olympic News"
.
International Olympic Committee
. 8 February 2020
. Retrieved
4 March
2020
.
- ^
Osumi, Magdalena (12 July 2018).
"Torch relay for 2020 Summer Games to start in Fukushima Prefecture"
. Retrieved
31 December
2018
– via Japan Times Online.
- ^
"2020 Tokyo Olympic torch relay to tour all 47 prefectures of Japan starting from Fukushima"
.
Soranews24.com
. 14 July 2018
. Retrieved
31 December
2018
.
- ^
Palmer, Dan (19 December 2018).
"Tokyo 2020 Torch Relay to visit remote island groups"
.
inside the games
. insidethegames.biz
. Retrieved
5 June
2019
.
- ^
Palmer, Dan (30 November 2018).
"Toyota become presenting partner of Tokyo 2020 Torch Relay"
. inside the game.
- ^
Palmer, Dan (10 April 2018).
"Tokyo 2020 unveil "Hope Lights Our Way" slogan for Torch Relay"
. inside the games.
- ^
"Olympic torch relay through Greece cancelled due to coronavirus"
.
usatoday.com
. 13 March 2020
. Retrieved
14 March
2020
.
- ^
"Olympic flame to be exhibited in Fukushima, Tokyo"
. NHK News. 28 March 2020
. Retrieved
31 March
2020
.
[
permanent dead link
]
- ^
Gillen, Nancy (4 January 2019).
"Recycled aluminium from temporary housing in Fukushima to be used for Tokyo 2020 Olympic Torches"
.
insidethegames.biz
.
- ^
"Tokyo Paralympic Games get a cherry blossom torch with new color and braille text"
.
The Japan Times Online
. 25 March 2019.
ISSN
0447-5763
. Retrieved
16 July
2019
.
- ^
"Tokyo 2020 torch lit behind closed doors in ancient Olympia"
.
Reuters
. 12 March 2020
. Retrieved
15 March
2020
.
- ^
"Olympic flame leaves for Japan amid coronavirus fears"
.
Kyodo News
. 19 March 2020
. Retrieved
20 March
2020
.
- ^
"Olympics: Tokyo Games flame to pass historic landmarks in Greece"
.
Kyodo News
. 24 February 2020
. Retrieved
20 March
2020
.
- ^
Kampouris, Nick (25 February 2020).
"Tokyo 2020: Details of Olympic Flame Ceremonies in Greece Revealed"
.
Greek Reporter
. Retrieved
12 March
2020
.
- ^
"Αρχισε το ταξ?δι τη? Ολυμπιακ?? Φλ?γα?"
.
hoc.gr
(in Greek). Hellenic Olympic Committee. 12 March 2020. Archived from
the original
on 20 March 2020
. Retrieved
20 March
2020
.
- ^
"Olympic torch relay in Greece suspended due to virus fears"
.
Kyodo News
. 14 March 2020
. Retrieved
20 March
2020
.
- ^
El-Mahmoud, Sarah (13 March 2020).
"Watch Gerard Butler Go Full On 300 In Sparta"
.
CINEMABLEND
. Retrieved
20 March
2020
.
- ^
"Olympics: Tokyo 2020 torch relay may include Fukushima reactor town"
.
The Mainichi
. mainichi.jp. 28 May 2019. Archived from
the original
on 5 June 2019
. Retrieved
5 June
2019
.
- ^
"OLYMPIC FLAME DISPLAYED AT JAPAN OLYMPIC MUSEUM"
. International Olympic Committee. 31 August 2020
. Retrieved
2 September
2020
.
- ^
"Tokyo Olympic torch relay to start March 25 in Fukushima Prefecture"
.
The Japan Times
.
Kyodo News
. 28 September 2020
. Retrieved
2 October
2020
.
- ^
Niehaus, Andreas (2 January 2023).
"
"I want to bring this light to those in despair" ? the Tokyo 2020 torch relay and the creation of Olympic legacies"
.
Contemporary Japan
.
35
(1): 75?93.
doi
:
10.1080/18692729.2023.2169856
.
hdl
:
1854/LU-01GXV3V5AFYRR4JWXQVXNHY45N
.
ISSN
1869-2729
.
- ^
"?森??聖火リレ? 10日スタ?ト/初日は?森で代替セレモニ?、2日目は4市町5?間"
[Aomori Prefecture Torch Relay Starts on the 10th / Alternative Ceremony in Aomori on the First Day, 4 Municipalities and 5 Sections on the 2nd Day].
T?-? Nipp?
(in Japanese).
Yahoo! News Japan
. 9 June 2021. Archived from
the original
on 10 June 2021
. Retrieved
10 June
2021
.
- ^
Rowbottom, Mike (18 December 2018).
"Tokyo 2020 confirms it will use Olympic flame cauldrons in stadium and on the waterfront"
. inside the games.
- ^
Goldman, Tom (27 July 2021).
"Japanese Tennis Star Naomi Osaka Bounced Out Of Tokyo Olympics"
. NPR
. Retrieved
27 July
2021
.
- ^
Futterman, Matthew (27 July 2021).
"Naomi Osaka's Loss Gives Tokyo Its Latest Olympic Setback"
.
New York Times
. Retrieved
27 July
2021
.
External links
[
edit
]
Olympic
and Paralympic torch relays
|
---|
|
Olympic
| |
---|
Paralympic
| |
---|