# 2020 Summer Olympics torch 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. It was then transported to Athens on 19 March by official airliner Japan Airlines. The Japanese leg began in Fukushima, and ended 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. The torch was scheduled to visit 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 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.

## 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

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:
| Prefecture | Route | Map |
| Fukushima | 25 March 2021 (day 1): Naraha to Minamisoma NarahaHironoIwakiHironoKawauchiŌkumaFutabaTomiokaKatsuraoNamieMinamisōma 26 March 2021 (day 2): Sōma to Aizuwakamatsu SōmaIitateShinchiKawamataFukushimaInawashiroMishimaKitakataAizuwakamatsu 27 March 2021 (day 3): Minamiaizu to Koriyama MinamiaizuShimogōShirakawaSukagawaTamuraMotomiyaKōriyama | NarahaMinamisōmaSōmaAizuwakamatsuMinamiaizuKōriyama |
| Tochigi | 28 March 2021 (day 4): Ashikaga to Nasukarasuyama AshikagaSanoOyamaMotegiTochigiKaminokawaMookaKaminokawaNasukarasuyama 29 March 2021 (day 5): Nasu to Utsunomiya NasuSakuraNasushiobaraMashikoMibuNikkōKanumaUtsunomiya | AshikagaNasukarasuyamaNasuUtsunomiya |
| Gunma | 30 March 2021 (day 6): Tatebayashi to Maebashi TatebayashiŌizumiŌtaUenoKiryūIsesakiMaebashi 31 March 2021 (day 7): Shibukawa to Takasaki ShibukawaKusatsuNumataKawabaNaganoharaFujiokaTomiokaTakasaki | TatebayashiMaebashiShibukawaTakasaki |
| Nagano | 1 April 2021 (day 8): Karuizawa to Nagano KaruizawaSakuYamanouchiUedaNozawaonsenHakubaNagano 2 April 2021 (day 9): Iida to Matsumoto IidaNagisoInaSuwaŌmachiAzuminoMatsumoto | KaruizawaNaganoIidaMatsumoto |
| Gifu | 3 April 2021 (day 10): Nakatsugawa to Takayama NakatsugawaTajimiYaotsuGujōTakayama 4 April 2021 (day 11): Gero to Gifu GeroKakamigaharaSekigaharaŌgakiHashimaGifu | NakatsugawaTakayamaGeroGifu |
| Aichi | 5 April 2021 (day 12): Seto to Nagoya SetoNagoyaKasugaiNagoyaIchinomiyaInuyamaNagoyaInazawaKiyosuNagoya 6 April 2021 (day 13): Toyohashi to Toyota ToyohashiHandaToyokawaAnjōKariyaOkazakiŌbuToyota | SetoNagoyaToyohashiToyota |
| Mie | 7 April 2021 (day 14): Yokkaichi to Ise YokkaichiSuzukaKameyamaTsuTobaIse 8 April 2021 (day 15): Iga to Kumano IgaNabariMatsusakaTaikiKihokuKumano | YokkaichiIseIgaKumano |
| Wakayama | 9 April 2021 (day 16): Shingū to Wakayama ShingūNachikatsuuraKushimotoShirahamaTanabeGobōAridaKainanWakayama 10 April 2021 (day 17): Wakayama to Hashimoto WakayamaIwadeKinokawaKatsuragiKōyasanHashimoto | ShingūWakayamaHashimoto |
| Nara | 11 April 2021 (day 18): Gojō to Kashihara GojōGoseKatsuragiTotsukawaSakuraiTawaramotoTenriAsukaKashihara 12 April 2021 (day 19): Kawai to Nara KawaiKōryōKashibaYamatotakadaYoshinoIkarugaYamatokōriyamaNaraUdaIkomaNara | GojōKashiharaKawaiNara |
| Osaka | 13 April 2021 (day 20): Sakai to Suita SakaiHigashiōsakaKadomaHirakataToyonakaIkedaMinohIbarakiSuita 14 April 2021 (day 21): Izumiōtsu to Osaka IzumiōtsuKaizukaIzumiKishiwadaOsakaTaishiKashiwaraHabikinoFujiideraOsaka | SakaiSuitaIzumisanoOsaka |
| Tokushima | 15 April 2021 (day 22): Miyoshi to Naruto MiyoshiHigashimiyoshiTsurugiMimaKamiyamaAwaYoshinogawaIshiiKamiitaItanoKamiitaItanoAizumiKitajimaMatsushigeNaruto 16 April 2021 (day 23): Kaiyō to Tokushima KaiyōMugiKamikatsuMinamiNakaKatsuuraAnanKomatsushimaSanagōchiTokushima | MiyoshiNarutoKaiyōTokushima |
| Kagawa | 17 April 2021 (day 24): Utazu to Kan'onji UtazuMarugameMannōNaoshimaKotohiraZentsūjiTadotsuMitoyoKan'onji 18 April 2021 (day 25): Sakaide to Takamatsu SakaideAyagawaTonoshōShōdoshimaHigashikagawaSanukiMikiTakamatsu | UtazuKan'onjiSakaideTakamatsu |
| Kōchi | 19 April 2021 (day 26): Kōchi to Sukumo KōchiInoTosaSusakiYusuharaShimantoShimantoTosashimizuSukumo 20 April 2021 (day 27): Nankoku to Kōchi NankokuKitagawaKamiTanoKōnanYasudaAkiNahariMurotoTōyōKōchi | KōchiSukumoNankoku |
| Ehime | 21 April 2021 (day 28): Shikokuchūō to Matsuyama ShikokuchūōKamijimaNiihamaSaijōImabariTōonMasakiKumakōgenMatsuyama 22 April 2021 (day 29): Tobe to Yawatahama TobeAinanIyoUchikoŌzuMatsunoKihokuSeiyoUwajimaIkataYawatahama | ShikokuchūōMatsuyamaTobeYawatahama |
| Ōita | 23 April 2021 (day 30): Beppu to Hita BeppuHijiKitsukiKunisakiHimeshimaBungotakadaUsaNakatsuHita 24 April 2021 (day 31): Kusu to Ōita KusuKokonoeYufuTaketaSaikiTsukumiUsukiBungo-ōnoŌita | BeppuHitaKusuŌita |
| Miyazaki | 25 April 2021 (day 32): Takachiho to Miyazaki TakachihoNobeokaHyūgaTakanabeSaitoMiyazaki 26 April 2021 (day 33): Miyazaki to Ebino MiyazakiNichinanKushimaMimataMiyakonojōKobayashiEbino | TakachihoMiyazakiEbino |
| Kagoshima | 27 April 2021 (day 34): Shibushi to Kagoshima ShibushiKanoyaAmamiMinamiōsumiKirishimaAiraKagoshima 28 April 2021 (day 35): Izumi to Ibusuki IzumiNishinoomoteSatsumasendaiHiokiIsaMinamikyūshūIbusuki | ShibushiKagoshimaIzumiIbusuki |
| 29–30 April 2021: Transport via ferry from Kyushu to Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands |||
| Okinawa | 1 May 2021 (day 36): Naha to Nago NahaGinowanIshigakiOkinawaUrumaNagoMotobuNago 2 May 2021 (day 37): Tomigusuku to Itoman TomigusukuUrasoeZamamiChatanMiyakojimaNanjōItoman | NahaNagoTomigusukuItoman |
| 3–4 May 2021: Transport via ferry from Okinawa Island to Kyushu |||
| Kumamoto | 5 May 2021 (day 38): Hitoyoshi to Yatsushiro HitoyoshiMinamataAmakusaUtoYatsushiro 6 May 2021 (day 39): Mashiki to Kumamoto MashikiMinamiasoAsoKikuchiYamagaNagomiTamanaKumamoto | HitoyoshiYatsushiroMashikiKumamoto |
| Nagasaki | 7 May 2021 (day 40): Minamishimabara to Nagasaki MinamishimabaraShimabaraUnzenIkiShin-KamigotōIsahayaŌmuraNagasaki 8 May 2021 (day 41): Nagayo to Sasebo NagayoTogitsuSaikaiGotōTsushimaMatsuuraHiradoSazaSasebo | MinamishimabaraNagasakiNagayoSasebo |
| Saga | 9 May 2021 (day 42): Tara to Karatsu TaraKasimaUreshinoShiroishiTakeoAritaImariGenkaiKaratsu 10 May 2021 (day 43): Kiyama to Saga KiyamaTosuMiyakiYoshinogariKanzakiKamimineOgiTakuŌmachiKōhokuSaga | TaraKarasuKiyamaSaga |
| Fukuoka | 11 May 2021 (day 44): Ōmuta to Fukuoka ŌmutaChikugoItoshimaKurumeKasugaAsakuraTōhōDazaifuFukuokaShimeFukuoka 12 May 2021 (day 45): Chikujō to Kitakyushu ChikujōTagawaSoedaIizukaKeisenMiyawakaMunakataNakamaFukutsuKitakyushu | ŌmutaFukuokaChikujōKitakyushu |
| Yamaguchi | 13 May 2021 (day 46): Iwakuni to Yamaguchi IwakuniYanaiHikariKudamatsuShūnanHōfuYamaguchi 14 May 2021 (day 47): Ube to Hagi UbeSan'yō-OnodaShimonosekiMineNagatoHagi | IwakuniYamaguchiUbeHagi |
| Shimane | 15 May 2021 (day 48): Tsuwano to Ōnan TsuwanoChibuMasudaHamadaGōtsuKawamotoŌnan 16 May 2021 (day 49): Ōda to Matsue ŌdaIzumoUnnanOkuizumoOkinoshimaYasugiMatsue | TsuwanoŌnanŌdaMatsue |
| Hiroshima | 17 May 2021 (day 50): Miyoshi to Hiroshima MiyoshiShōbaraHigashihiroshimaKureSakaHiroshima 18 May 2021 (day 51): Hatsukaichi to Matsue HatsukaichiKaitaMiharaOnomichiFuchūFukuyama | MiyoshiHiroshimaHatsukachiFukuyama |
| Okayama | 19 May 2021 (day 52): Ibara to Okayama IbaraTakahashiKibichūōSōjaKurashikiOkayama 20 May 2021 (day 53): Tamano to Tsuyama TamanoManiwaAkaiwaMimasakaNagiTsuyama | IbaraOkayamaTamanoTsuyama |
| Tottori | 21 May 2021 (day 54): Sakaiminato to Kurayoshi SakaiminatoYonagoHiezuNanbuNichinanHinoKōfuHōkiDaisenKurayoshi 22 May 2021 (day 55): Kotoura to Tottori KotouraHokueiMisasaYurihamaTottoriIwamiYazuChizuWakasaTottori | SakaiminatoKurayoshiKotouraTottori |
| Hyōgo | 23 May 2021 (day 56): Toyooka to Himeji ToyookaAsagoShisōKatōOnoKakogawaHimeji 24 May 2021 (day 57): Kobe to Tamba-Sasayama KobeAkashiMinamiawajiNishinomiyaAmagasakiSandaTamba-Sasayama | ToyookaHimejiKobeTamba-Sasayama |
| Kyoto | 25 May 2021 (day 58): Kyōtango to Kameoka KyōtangoMiyazuMaizuruAyabeFukuchiyamaNagaokakyōKameoka 26 May 2021 (day 59): Uji to Kyoto UjiUjitawaraJōyōKizugawaSeikaKyōtanabeYawataKumiyamaKyoto | KyōtangoKameokaUjiKyoto |
| Shiga | 27 May 2021 (day 60): Takashima to Ōtsu TakashimaMoriyamaYasuŌmihachimanRyūōKonanRittōKusatsuŌtsu 28 May 2021 (day 61): Kōka to Nagahama KōkaHinoHigashiōmiAishōToyosatoKōraTagaHikoneMaibaraNagahama | TakashimaŌtsuKōkaNagahama |
| Fukui | 29 May 2021 (day 62): Takashima to Minamiechizen TakahamaŌiObamaWakasaMihamaTsurugaMinamiechizen 30 May 2021 (day 63): Echizen to Fukui EchizenSabaeEchizenIkedaŌnoKatsuyamaEiheijiAwaraSakaiFukui | TakahamaMinamiechizenEchizenFukui |
| Ishikawa | 31 May 2021 (day 64): Kaga to Kanazawa KagaKomatsuNomiKawakitaHakusanNonoichiUchinadaKanazawaKahokuTsubataKanazawa 1 June 2021 (day 65): Wajima to Nanao WajimaNotoAnamizuSuzuShikaHakuiHōdatsushimizuNakanotoNanao | KagaKanazawaWajimaFukui |
| Toyama | 2 June 2021 (day 66): Oyabe to Takaoka OyabeNantoTonamiImizuTakaokaHimiTakaoka 3 June 2021 (day 67): Asahi to Toyama AsahiNyūzenKurobeUozuNamerikawaKamiichiFunahashiTateyamaToyama | OyabeTakaokaAsahiToyama |
| Niigata | 4 June 2021 (day 68): Itoigawa to Minamiuonuma ItoigawaJōetsuKashiwazakiSadoTōkamachiMinamiuonuma 5 June 2021 (day 69): Nagaoka to Murakami NagaokaSanjōTsubameYahikoNiigataShibataAgaMurakami | ItoigawaMinamiuonumaNagaokaMurakami |
| Yamagata | 6 June 2021 (day 70): Nishikawa to Yamagata NishikawaSagaeKahokuShiratakaNagaiTakahataYonezawaNan'yōKaminoyamaYamagata 7 June 2021 (day 71): Tendō to Sakata TendōHigashineMurayamaObanazawaShinjōTsuruokaYuzaSakata | NishikawaYamagataTendōSakata |
| Akita | 8 June 2021 (day 72): Yuzawa to Yamagata YuzawaYokoteYurihonjōMisatoDaisenSembokuAkita 9 June 2021 (day 73): Katagami to Kazuno KatagamiHachirōgataŌgataNoshiroŌdateOgaKazuno | YuzawaAkitaKatagamiKazuno |
| Aomori | 10 June 2021 (day 74): Hirosaki to Aomori HirosakiNishimeyaHirakawaKuroishiTsugaruGoshogawaraImabetsuAomori 11 June 2021 (day 75): Mutsu to Hachinohe MutsuTowadaMisawaOiraseHashikamiTowadaHachinohe | HirosakiAomoriMutsuHachinohe |
| 12 June 2021: Transport via ferry from Honshu to Hokkaido |||
| Hokkaido | 13 June 2021 (day 76): Hakodate to Shiraoi HakodateNemuroHokutoNanaeKushiroTōyakoObihiroMuroranShiraoi 14 June 2021 (day 77): Tomakomai to Sapporo TomakomaiFuranoMukawaAsahikawaAtsumaAbiraTomakomaiChitoseSapporoWakkanaiSapporo | HakodateShiraoiTomakomaiSapporo |
| 15 June 2021: Transport via ferry from Hokkaido to Honshu |||
| Iwate | 16 June 2021 (day 78): Shizukuishi to Kuji ShizukuishiTakizawaHachimantaiIwateIchinoheNinoheHironoFudaiNodaKuji 17 June 2021 (day 79): Iwaizumi to Rikuzentakata IwaizumiTanohataMiyakoYamadaŌtsuchiKamaishiŌfunatoRikuzentakata 18 June 2021 (day 80): Ichinoseki to Morioka IchinosekiHiraizumiŌshūKanegasakiKitakamiHanamakiTōnoShiwaYahabaMorioka | ShizukuishiKujiIwaizumiRikuzentakataIchinosekiMorioka |
| Miyagi | 19 June 2021 (day 81): Kesennuma to Onagawa KesennumaMinamisanrikuIshinomakiOnagawa 20 June 2021 (day 82): Higashimatsushima to Rifu HigashimatsushimaŌhiraMatsushimaShiogamaShichigahamaTagajōRifu 21 June 2021 (day 83): Yamamoto to Sendai YamamotoWatariIwanumaSendaiNatoriSendai | KesennumaOnagawaHigashimatsushimaRifuYamamotoSendai |
| 22 June 2021: Transport via land route from Tōhoku to southeastern part of Japan |||
| Shizuoka | 23 June 2021 (day 84): Kosai to Shizuoka KosaiHamamatsuIwataFukuroiKakegawaShimadaShizuoka 24 June 2021 (day 85): Makinohara to Numazu MakinoharaFujiedaYaizuShizuokaFujiNagaizumiMishimaNumazu 25 June 2021 (day 86): Itō to Fujinomiya ItōShimodaIzunokuniSusonoOyamaGotembaIzuFujinomiya | KosaiShizuokaMakinoharaNumazuItōFujinomiya |
| Yamanashi | 26 June 2021 (day 87): Nanbu to Kōfu NanbuMinobuHayakawaFujikawaIchikawamisatoChūōShōwaKaiMinami-AlpsHokutoNirasakiKōfu 27 June 2021 (day 88): Fuefuki to Fujiyoshida FuefukiYamanashiKōshūMount FujiUenoharaŌtsukiTsuruNishikatsuraOshinoFujikawaguchikoNarusawaFujiyoshida | NanbuKōfuFuefukiFujiyoshida |
| Kanagawa | 28 June 2021 (day 89): Hakone to Fujisawa HakoneIseharaOdawaraŌisoHiratsukaChigasakiFujisawa 29 June 2021 (day 90): Miura to Sagamihara MiuraYokosukaKamakuraEbinaAtsugiSagamihara 30 June 2021 (day 91): Kawasaki to Yokohama KawasakiYokohama | HakoneFujisawaMiuraSagamiharaKawasakiYokohama |
| Chiba | 1 July 2021 (day 92): Kisarazu to Sanmu KisarazuKimitsuFuttsuMinamibōsōIsumiIchinomiyaSōsaSanmu 2 July 2021 (day 93): Chōshi to Chiba ChōshiAsahiKatoriShibayamaNaritaNarashinoChiba 3 July 2021 (day 94): Urayasu to Matsudo UrayasuFunabashiKamagayaKashiwaAbikoKashiwaMatsudo | KisarazuSanmuChōshiChibaUrayasuMatsudo |
| Ibaraki | 4 July 2021 (day 95): Kashima to Mito KashimaHitachinakaŌaraiDaigoHitachiHitachiōtaKasamaMito 5 July 2021 (day 96): Koga to Tsukuba KogaBandōJōsōUshikuRyūgasakiNamegataTsuchiuraTsukuba | KashimaMitoKogaTsukuba |
| Saitama | 6 July 2021 (day 97): Koga to Tokorozawa KawaguchiWarabiTodaWakōAsakaNiizaHidakaSayamaFujimiFujiminoMiyoshiTokorozawa 7 July 2021 (day 98): Sōka to Kumagaya SōkaYashioMisatoYoshikawaKoshigayaChichibuMinanoNagatoroKasukabeSugitoMiyashiroKukiKazoGyōdaKumagaya 8 July 2021 (day 99): Kawagoe to Saitama KawagoeTsurugashimaSakadoHonjōFukayaRanzanHigashimatsuyamaNamegawaKōnosuKitamotoOkegawaAgeoSaitama | KawaguchiTokorozawaSōkaKumagayaKawagoeSaitama |

### Tokyo metropolitan leg
#### 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

#### 15 July 2021 (day 106, continued)

    030. Miyake
    031. Kōzushima
    032. Niijima (Nii-jima and Shikine-jima)
    033. To-shima
    034. Ōshima

#### 16 July 2021 (day 107)

    035. Mikurajima
    036. Hachijō
    037. Aogashima
    038. Ogasawara (Chichijima and Hahajima)

## 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 (大橋博樹 Ōhashi 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 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.