The Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee announced that the launch ceremony of the torch relay will be carried out without spectators. This is an epidemic prevention measure taken to avoid crowds.

Kyodo News reported that the Tokyo Olympic torch relay starting ceremony will be held on March 25 at the national football training center “J-VILLAGE” in Fukushima Prefecture. It was originally planned to invite about 3,000 guests and ordinary spectators into the stadium.

In order to control the COVID-19 epidemic, the scale of performances and the number of guests will be reduced. At the departure ceremony, elementary and middle school students in Fukushima Prefecture will perform a chorus, and after the chorus will light the torch with the torch.

The torch relay will maintain the original plan and touring 859 municipalities across the country in 121 days. The Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee urged people not to leave their prefectures and prefectures to watch the torch relay. They can be watched locally, but they need to wear masks to cheer the torchbearers by applause and avoid loud cheers.

Due to the global spread of the coronavirus, the Tokyo Olympic Games, originally scheduled to be held last year, will be postponed from July 23 to August 8, 2021.