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Tokyo 2020: the Olympic torch begins its soulless journey

The Olympic fire started its traditional walk in the middle of a strict protocol that has taken away all the spectacularity, but still continues on its way.

Tokyo 2020 looked to be memorable. It would be an Olympic Games surrounded by the futurism with which Japan is usually associated and the closure of Rio anticipated a bit of this: a pipeline of those that inhabit the popular world of Mario Bros connected Brazil and Japan for dream Olympics. But the pandemic was crossed, and after being postponed, the Olympics are heading to happen with everything and the traditional route of the Olympic torch, which has started without the spectacular nature that it usually has.

At the beginning of the trajectory of the Olympic fire, it has been in charge of players of the Japanese women’s soccer team, described by the Tokyo 2020 blog as “a symbol of resilience in 2011, after the Great East Japan Earthquake.” The footballers were the first of a total of 10,000 relays that are contemplated to complete the course of the torch that will light the cauldron of the Olympic and Paralympic games that have not yet fully defined the format under which they will take place. “It has been an absolute honor to be the first to take up the torch.I was in the clouds. Personally, I hope I have been the pride of the Iwate and Tohoku regions. It was great to meet the team again ten years later, “said Iwashimizu Azusa, winner of the Women’s World Cup in 2011.

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The start of the Olympic torch’s trajectory coincided with the date of the Great East Japan Earthquake and only gathered about 300 people at the J-Village National Training Center, subject to strict sanitary protocols. Sports personalities are expected to carry the Olympic torch across 47 prefectures in Japan over 121 days. The tour would end on July 23 at the Tokyo Olympic Stadium.

“These Games were postponed and, as a result, we have coincided with the tenth anniversary of the earthquake. When we started the relay and the torch was lit , I started to cry. I was very happy, “said Hashimoto Seiko, President of Tokyo 2020.

But the sentiment was not shared, at least not collectively, because although there is no official prohibition, the authorities asked the population not to go out into the streets. And, to do so, avoid shouting and instead applaud, guidelines followed to the letter in a nation with a peculiar culture of order.

The Tokyo 2020 Olympics will be held from July 23 to August 8, 2021, while the Paralympic Games will be held from August 24 to September 5.

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