2020 Summer Olympics torch relay

Games of the XXXII Olympiad

File:Tokyo 2020 Olympic Torch Relay Emblem.svg
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)

File:Olympic Flame Aircraft, JA837J.jpg

Olympic flame Transport aircraft. Japan Airlines Boeing 787-8 (JA837J)

File:Blue Impulse at Arrival Ceremony of Olympic Flame, Tokyo 2020.jpg

Blue Impulse at the Olympic flame arrival ceremony on March 20, 2020

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 champion Anna Korakaki, who became the first woman to be first Olympic torchbearer. It was then transported to Athens on 19 March by official airliner Japan Airlines. The Japanese leg began in Fukushima, 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 prefectural capitals. The torch is even scheduled to go to two remote island groups which are part of Tokyo. 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".

The torch relay is subject to change due to the ongoing 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.

Torches

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 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.

Route in Greece

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. The handover ceremony was held at Panathenaic Stadium in Athens on 19 March. The torch was to visit 31 cities and 15 landmarks across Greece, but due to the coronavirus pandemic, it was cancelled. 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.

• 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

As the damage from the 2011 Tōhoku 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.

• 20 March 2020: Ishinomaki Minamihama Tsunami Recovery Memorial Park, Ishinomaki
• 21 March 2020: Sendai Station, Sendai
• 22 March 2020: Sanriku Railway and the SL Ginga Steam Locomotive Express (between Miyako, Kamaishi and Hanamaki Stations)
• 23 March 2020: Kyassen Ofunato, Ōfunato
• 24 March 2020: Fukushima Station, Fukushima
• 25 March 2020: Aquamarine Fukushima, Iwaki

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.

Route in Japan

File:2020 Summer Olympics torch relay map.svg

Simplified map of the 2020 Summer Olympics torch relay route.

File:Tokyo 2020 torch relay at Mibu, Slot 9th runner with police.jpg

Day 5: The torch in Mibu, Tochigi with social distancing measures are in place.

File:Seto 20210330-09.jpg

Day 12: A sign in Seto, Aichi put on the electrical post reminding citizens the flame is passing through the town

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). Although this wasn't announced until 28 September 2020 and this is taken from the original 2020 schedule:

Prefecture	Route	Map
Fukushima	25 March 2021 (day 1): Naraha to Minamisoma Naraha Hirono Iwaki Hirono Kawauchi Ōkuma Futaba Tomioka Katsurao Namie Minamisōma 26 March 2021 (day 2): Sōma to Aizuwakamatsu Sōma Iitate Shinchi Kawamata Fukushima Inawashiro Mishima Kitakata Aizuwakamatsu 27 March 2021 (day 3): Minamiaizu to Koriyama Minamiaizu Shimogō Shirakawa Sukagawa Tamura Motomiya Kōriyama	Naraha Minamisōma Sōma Aizuwakamatsu Minamiaizu Kōriyama
Tochigi	28 March 2021 (day 4): Ashikaga to Nasukarasuyama Ashikaga Sano Oyama Motegi Tochigi Kaminokawa Mooka Kaminokawa Nasukarasuyama 29 March 2021 (day 5): Nasu to Utsunomiya Nasu Sakura Nasushiobara Mashiko Mibu Nikkō Kanuma Utsunomiya	2020 Summer Olympics torch relay is located in Tochigi Prefecture Ashikaga Nasukarasuyama Nasu Utsunomiya
Gunma	30 March 2021 (day 6): Tatebayashi to Maebashi Tatebayashi Ōizumi Ōta Ueno Kiryū Isesaki Maebashi 31 March 2021 (day 7): Shibukawa to Takasaki Shibukawa Kusatsu Numata Kawaba Naganohara Fujioka Tomioka Takasaki	Tatebayashi Maebashi Shibukawa Takasaki
Nagano	1 April 2021 (day 8): Karuizawa to Nagano Karuizawa Saku Yamanouchi Ueda Nozawaonsen Hakuba Nagano 2 April 2021 (day 9): Iida to Matsumoto Iida Nagiso Ina Suwa Ōmachi Azumino Matsumoto
Gifu	3 April 2021 (day 10): Nakatsugawa to Takayama Nakatsugawa Tajimi Yaotsu Gujō Takayama 4 April 2021 (day 11): Gero to Gifu Gero Kakamigahara Sekigahara Ōgaki Hashima Gifu
Aichi	5 April 2021 (day 12): Seto to Nagoya Seto Nagoya Kasugai Nagoya Ichinomiya Inuyama Nagoya Inazawa Kiyosu Nagoya 6 April 2021 (day 13): Toyohashi to Toyota Toyohashi Handa Toyokawa Anjō Kariya Okazaki Ōbu Toyota
Mie	7 April 2021 (day 14): Yokkaichi to Ise Yokkaichi Suzuka Kameyama Tsu Toba Ise 8 April 2021 (day 15): Iga to Kumano Iga Nabari Matsusaka Taiki Kihoku Kumano
Wakayama	9 April 2021 (day 16): Shingū to Wakayama Shingū Nachikatsuura Kushimoto Shirahama Tanabe Gobō Arida Kainan Wakayama 10 April 2021 (day 17): Wakayama to Hashimoto Wakayama Iwade Kinokawa Katsuragi Kōyasan Hashimoto
Nara	11 April 2021 (day 18): Gojō to Kashihara Gojō Gose Katsuragi Totsukawa Sakurai Tawaramoto Tenri Asuka Kashihara 12 April 2021 (day 19): Kawai to Nara Kawai Kōryō Kashiba Yamatotakada Yoshino Ikaruga Yamatokōriyama Nara Uda Ikoma Nara
Osaka	13 April 2021 (day 20): Sakai to Suita Sakai Higashiōsaka Kadoma Hirakata Toyonaka Ikeda Minoh Ibaraki Suita 14 April 2021 (day 21): Izumiōtsu to Osaka Izumiōtsu Kaizuka Izumi Kishiwada Osaka Taishi Kashiwara Habikino Fujiidera Osaka
Tokushima	15 April 2021 (day 22): Miyoshi to Naruto Miyoshi Higashimiyoshi Tsurugi Mima Kamiyama Awa Yoshinogawa Ishii Kamiita Itano Kamiita Itano Aizumi Kitajima Matsushige Naruto 16 April 2021 (day 23): Kaiyō to Tokushima Kaiyō Mugi Kamikatsu Minami Naka Katsuura Anan Komatsushima Sanagōchi Tokushima
Kagawa	17 April 2021 (day 24): Utazu to Kan'onji Utazu Marugame Mannō Naoshima Kotohira Zentsūji Tadotsu Mitoyo Kan'onji 18 April 2021 (day 25): Sakaide to Takamatsu Sakaide Ayagawa Tonoshō Shōdoshima Higashikagawa Sanuki Miki Takamatsu
Kōchi	19 April 2021 (day 26): Kōchi to Sukumo Kōchi Ino Tosa Susaki Yusuhara Shimanto Shimanto Tosashimizu Sukumo 20 April 2021 (day 27): Nankoku to Kōchi Nankoku Kitagawa Kami Tano Kōnan Yasuda Aki Nahari Muroto Tōyō Kōchi
Ehime	21 April 2021 (day 28): Shikokuchūō to Matsuyama Shikokuchūō Kamijima Niihama Saijō Imabari Tōon Masaki Kumakōgen Matsuyama 22 April 2021 (day 29): Tobe to Yawatahama Tobe Ainan Iyo Uchiko Ōzu Matsuno Kihoku Seiyo Uwajima Ikata Yawatahama
Ōita	23 April 2021 (day 30): Beppu to Hita Beppu Hiji Kitsuki Kunisaki Himeshima Bungotakada Usa Nakatsu Hita 24 April 2021 (day 31): Kusu to Ōita Kusu Kokonoe Yufu Taketa Saiki Tsukumi Usuki Bungo-ōno Ōita
Miyazaki	25 April 2021 (day 32): Takachiho to Miyazaki Takachiho Nobeoka Hyūga Takanabe Saito Miyazaki 26 April 2021 (day 33): Miyazaki to Ebino Miyazaki Nichinan Kushima Mimata Miyakonojō Kobayashi Ebino
Kagoshima	27 April 2021 (day 34): Shibushi to Kagoshima Shibushi Kanoya Amami Minamiōsumi Kirishima Aira Kagoshima 28 April 2021 (day 35): Izumi to Ibusuki Izumi Nishinoomote Satsumasendai Hioki Isa Minamikyūshū Ibusuki
29–30 April 2021: Transport via ferry from Kyushu to Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands
Okinawa	1 May 2021 (day 36): Naha to Nago Naha Ginowan Ishigaki Okinawa Uruma Nago Motobu Nago 2 May 2021 (day 37): Tomigusuku to Itoman Tomigusuku Urasoe Zamami Chatan Miyakojima Nanjō Itoman
3–4 May 2021: Transport via ferry from Okinawa Island to Kyushu
Kumamoto	5 May 2021 (day 38): Hitoyoshi to Yatsushiro Hitoyoshi Minamata Amakusa Uto Yatsushiro 6 May 2021 (day 39): Mashiki to Kumamoto Mashiki Minamiaso Aso Kikuchi Yamaga Nagomi Tamana Kumamoto
Nagasaki	7 May 2021 (day 40): Minamishimabara to Nagasaki Minamishimabara Shimabara Unzen Iki Shin-Kamigotō Isahaya Ōmura Nagasaki 8 May 2021 (day 41): Nagayo to Sasebo Nagayo Togitsu Saikai Gotō Tsushima Matsuura Hirado Saza Sasebo
Saga	9 May 2021 (day 42): Tara to Karatsu Tara Kasima Ureshino Shiroishi Takeo Arita Imari Genkai Karatsu 10 May 2021 (day 43): Kiyama to Saga Kiyama Tosu Miyaki Yoshinogari Kanzaki Kamimine Ogi Taku Ōmachi Kōhoku Saga
Fukuoka	11 May 2021 (day 44): Ōmuta to Fukuoka Ōmuta Chikugo Itoshima Kurume Kasuga Asakura Tōhō Dazaifu Fukuoka Shime Fukuoka 12 May 2021 (day 45): Chikujō to Kitakyushu Chikujō Tagawa Soeda Iizuka Keisen Miyawaka Munakata Nakama Fukutsu Kitakyushu
Yamaguchi	13 May 2021 (day 46): Iwakuni to Yamaguchi Iwakuni Yanai Hikari Kudamatsu Shūnan Hōfu Yamaguchi 14 May 2021 (day 47): Ube to Hagi Ube San'yō-Onoda Shimonoseki Mine Nagato Hagi
Shimane	15 May 2021 (day 48): Tsuwano to Ōnan Tsuwano Chibu Masuda Hamada Gōtsu Kawamoto Ōnan 16 May 2021 (day 49): Ōda to Matsue Ōda Izumo Unnan Okuizumo Okinoshima Yasugi Matsue
Hiroshima	17 May 2021 (day 50): Miyoshi to Hiroshima Miyoshi Shōbara Higashihiroshima Kure Saka Hiroshima 18 May 2021 (day 51): Hatsukaichi to Matsue Hatsukaichi Kaita Mihara Onomichi Fuchū Fukuyama
Okayama	19 May 2021 (day 52): Ibara to Okayama Ibara Takahashi Kibichūō Sōja Kurashiki Okayama 20 May 2021 (day 53): Tamano to Tsuyama Tamano Maniwa Akaiwa Mimasaka Nagi Tsuyama
Tottori	21 May 2021 (day 54): Sakaiminato to Kurayoshi Sakaiminato Yonago Hiezu Nanbu Nichinan Hino Kōfu Hōki Daisen Kurayoshi 22 May 2021 (day 55): Kotoura to Tottori Kotoura Hokuei Misasa Yurihama Tottori Iwami Yazu Chizu Wakasa Tottori
Hyōgo	23 May 2021 (day 56): Toyooka to Himeji Toyooka Asago Shisō Katō Ono Kakogawa Himeji 24 May 2021 (day 57): Kobe to Tamba-Sasayama Kobe Akashi Minamiawaji Nishinomiya Amagasaki Sanda Tamba-Sasayama
Kyoto	25 May 2021 (day 58): Kyōtango to Kameoka Kyōtango Miyazu Maizuru Ayabe Fukuchiyama Nagaokakyō Kameoka 26 May 2021 (day 59): Uji to Kyoto Uji Ujitawara Jōyō Kizugawa Seika Kyōtanabe Yawata Kumiyama Kyoto
Shiga	27 May 2021 (day 60): Takashima to Ōtsu Takashima Moriyama Yasu Ōmihachiman Ryūō Konan Rittō Kusatsu Ōtsu 28 May 2021 (day 61): Kōka to Nagahama Kōka Hino Higashiōmi Aishō Toyosato Kōra Taga Hikone Maibara Nagahama
Fukui	29 May 2021 (day 62): Takashima to Minamiechizen Takahama Ōi Obama Wakasa Mihama Tsuruga Minamiechizen 30 May 2021 (day 63): Echizen to Fukui Echizen Sabae Echizen Ikeda Ōno Katsuyama Eiheiji Awara Sakai Fukui
Ishikawa	31 May 2021 (day 64): Kaga to Kanazawa Kaga Komatsu Nomi Kawakita Hakusan Nonoichi Uchinada Kanazawa Kahoku Tsubata Kanazawa 1 June 2021 (day 65): Wajima to Nanao Wajima Noto Anamizu Suzu Shika Hakui Hōdatsushimizu Nakanoto Nanao
Toyama	2 June 2021 (day 66): Oyabe to Takaoka Oyabe Nanto Tonami Imizu Takaoka Himi Takaoka 3 June 2021 (day 67): Asahi to Toyama Asahi Nyūzen Kurobe Uozu Namerikawa Kamiichi Funahashi Tateyama Toyama
Niigata	4 June 2021 (day 68): Itoigawa to Minamiuonuma Itoigawa Jōetsu Kashiwazaki Sado Tōkamachi Minamiuonuma 5 June 2021 (day 69): Nagaoka to Murakami Nagaoka Sanjō Tsubame Yahiko Niigata Shibata Aga Murakami
Yamagata	6 June 2021 (day 70): Nishikawa to Yamagata Nishikawa Sagae Kahoku Shirataka Nagai Takahata Yonezawa Nan'yō Kaminoyama Yamagata 7 June 2021 (day 71): Tendō to Sakata Tendō Higashine Murayama Obanazawa Shinjō Tsuruoka Yuza Sakata	Nishikawa Yamagata Tendō Sakata
Akita	8 June 2021 (day 72): Yuzawa to Yamagata Yuzawa Yokote Yurihonjō Misato Daisen Semboku Akita 9 June 2021 (day 73): Katagami to Kazuno Katagami Hachirōgata Ōgata Noshiro Ōdate Oga Kazuno	2020 Summer Olympics torch relay is located in Akita Prefecture Yuzawa Akita Katagami Kazuno
Aomori	10 June 2021 (day 74): Hirosaki to Aomori Hirosaki Nishimeya Hirakawa Kuroishi Tsugaru Goshogawara Imabetsu Aomori 11 June 2021 (day 75): Mutsu to Hachinohe Mutsu Towada Misawa Oirase Hashikami Towada Hachinohe	2020 Summer Olympics torch relay is located in Aomori Prefecture Hirosaki Aomori Mutsu Hachinohe
12 June 2021: Transport via ferry from Honshu to Hokkaido
Hokkaido	13 June 2021 (day 76): Hakodate to Shiraoi Hakodate Nemuro Hokuto Nanae Kushiro Tōyako Obihiro Muroran Shiraoi 14 June 2021 (day 77): Tomakomai to Sapporo Tomakomai Furano Mukawa Asahikawa Atsuma Abira Tomakomai Chitose Sapporo Wakkanai Sapporo	2020 Summer Olympics torch relay is located in Hokkaido Hakodate Shiraoi Tomakomai Sapporo
15 June 2021: Transport via ferry from Hokkaido to Honshu
Iwate	16 June 2021 (day 78): Shizukuishi to Kuji Shizukuishi Takizawa Hachimantai Iwate Ichinohe Ninohe Hirono Fudai Noda Kuji 17 June 2021 (day 79): Iwaizumi to Rikuzentakata Iwaizumi Tanohata Miyako Yamada Ōtsuchi Kamaishi Ōfunato Rikuzentakata 18 June 2021 (day 80): Ichinoseki to Morioka Ichinoseki Hiraizumi Ōshū Kanegasaki Kitakami Hanamaki Tōno Shiwa Yahaba Morioka	2020 Summer Olympics torch relay is located in Iwate Prefecture Shizukuishi Kuji Iwaizumi Rikuzentakata Ichinoseki Morioka
Miyagi	19 June 2021 (day 81): Kesennuma to Onagawa Kesennuma Minamisanriku Ishinomaki Onagawa 20 June 2021 (day 82): Higashimatsushima to Rifu Higashimatsushima Ōhira Matsushima Shiogama Shichigahama Tagajō Rifu 21 June 2021 (day 83): Yamamoto to Sendai Yamamoto Watari Iwanuma Sendai Natori Sendai	2020 Summer Olympics torch relay is located in Miyagi Prefecture Kesennuma Onagawa Higashimatsushima Rifu Yamamoto Sendai
22 June 2021: Transport via land route from Tōhoku to southeastern part of Japan
Shizuoka	23 June 2021 (day 84): Kosai to Shizuoka Kosai Hamamatsu Iwata Fukuroi Kakegawa Shimada Shizuoka 24 June 2021 (day 85): Makinohara to Numazu Makinohara Fujieda Yaizu Shizuoka Fuji Nagaizumi Mishima Numazu 25 June 2021 (day 86): Itō to Fujinomiya Itō Shimoda Izunokuni Susono Oyama Gotemba Izu Fujinomiya
Yamanashi	26 June 2021 (day 87): Nanbu to Kōfu Nanbu Minobu Hayakawa Fujikawa Ichikawamisato Chūō Shōwa Kai Minami-Alps Hokuto Nirasaki Kōfu 27 June 2021 (day 88): Fuefuki to Fujiyoshida Fuefuki Yamanashi Kōshū Mount Fuji Uenohara Ōtsuki Tsuru Nishikatsura Oshino Fujikawaguchiko Narusawa Fujiyoshida
Kanagawa	28 June 2021 (day 89): Hakone to Fujisawa Hakone Isehara Odawara Ōiso Hiratsuka Chigasaki Fujisawa 29 June 2021 (day 90): Miura to Sagamihara Miura Yokosuka Kamakura Ebina Atsugi Sagamihara 30 June 2021 (day 91): Kawasaki to Yokohama Kawasaki Yokohama	2020 Summer Olympics torch relay is located in Kanagawa Prefecture Hakone Fujisawa Miura Sagamihara Kawasaki Yokohama
Chiba	1 July 2021 (day 92): Kisarazu to Sanmu Kisarazu Kimitsu Futtsu Minamibōsō Isumi Ichinomiya Sōsa Sanmu 2 July 2021 (day 93): Chōshi to Chiba Chōshi Asahi Katori Shibayama Narita Narashino Chiba 3 July 2021 (day 94): Urayasu to Matsudo Urayasu Funabashi Kamagaya Kashiwa Abiko Kashiwa Matsudo	Kisarazu Sanmu Chōshi Chiba Urayasu Matsudo
Ibaraki	4 July 2021 (day 95): Kashima to Mito Kashima Hitachinaka Ōarai Daigo Hitachi Hitachiōta Kasama Mito 5 July 2021 (day 96): Koga to Tsukuba Koga Bandō Jōsō Ushiku Ryūgasaki Namegata Tsuchiura Tsukuba	2020 Summer Olympics torch relay is located in Ibaraki Prefecture Kashima Mito Koga Tsukuba
Saitama	6 July 2021 (day 97): Koga to Tokorozawa Kawaguchi Warabi Toda Wakō Asaka Niiza Hidaka Sayama Fujimi Fujimino Miyoshi Tokorozawa 7 July 2021 (day 98): Sōka to Kumagaya Sōka Yashio Misato Yoshikawa Koshigaya Chichibu Minano Nagatoro Kasukabe Sugito Miyashiro Kuki Kazo Gyōda Kumagaya 8 July 2021 (day 99): Kawagoe to Saitama Kawagoe Tsurugashima Sakado Honjō Fukaya Ranzan Higashimatsuyama Namegawa Kōnosu Kitamoto Okegawa Ageo Saitama	2020 Summer Olympics torch relay is located in Saitama Prefecture Kawaguchi Tokorozawa Sōka Kumagaya Kawagoe Saitama

Tokyo metropolitan leg

2020 Summer Olympics torch relay is located in Tokyo

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62,63

9 July 2021 (day 100)

01. Setagaya

02. Komae

03. Inagi

04. Machida

10 July 2021 (day 101)

05. Tama

06. Hino

07. Akishima

08. Hachiōji

11 July 2021 (day 102)

09. Hinohara

010. Okutama

011. Hinode

012. Ōme

013. Mizuho

12 July 2021 (day 103)

014. Hamura

015. Akiruno

016. Fussa

017. Musashimurayama

018. Tachikawa

13 July 2021 (day 104)

019. Kunitachi

020. Kokubunji

021. Kodaira

022. Higashiyamato

023. Higashimurayama

14 July 2021 (day 105)

024. Kiyose

025. Higashikurume

026. Nishitōkyō

027. Koganei

028. Fuchū

15 July 2021 (day 106)

029. Chōfu

16 July 2021 (day 107, continued)

039. Mitaka

040. Musashino

17 July 2021 (day 108)

041. Suginami

042. Nakano

043. Nerima

18 July 2021 (day 109)

044. Toshima

045. Itabashi

046. Kita

047. Adachi

19 July 2021 (day 110)

048. Katsushika

049. Edogawa

050. Sumida

051. Arakawa

20 July 2021 (day 111)

052. Taitō

053. Bunkyō

054. Chiyoda

055. Chūō

21 July 2021 (day 112)

056. Kōtō

057. Ōta

058. Shinagawa

22 July 2021 (day 113)

059. Meguro

060. Shibuya

061. Minato

23 July 2021 (day 114)

062. Shinjuku

063. New National Stadium

Ceremony changes

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. 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.

End of torch relay

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.

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 and Junko Kitagawa, 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 Tōhoku 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.

External links

External video
Olympic Flame Lighting Ceremony Tokyo 2020 on YouTube

• Tokyo 2020 Olympic Torch Relay official website