Tokyo: The Olympic torch relay is usually just a sideshow for the real thing; the prelude, the buildup, the warm-up act that could be skipped.
Not this time as all eyes will be on the torch relay when it begins on Thursday from northeastern Japan, headed to the opening ceremony of the postponed Tokyo Olympics on July 23.
The Olympic flame will be carried across Japan's 47 prefectures over 121 days with 10,000 runners expected to take part.
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The relay could be the "canary in the coalmine" for attempting to hold the Olympics in four months despite the pandemic.
Social distancing, mask-wearing and limited crowds that are prohibited from loud cheering will be the order when the relay starts from Fukushima prefecture.
If the relay has problems, if COVID-19 cases pop up and if there are delays, it could send up red flags about the feasibility of holding the Olympics.
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The first runner will be Norio Sasaki, who coached the Japanese women to the soccer World Cup title in 2011.
About 15 members of the team will also run during the first day.
It was exactly at the start of the relay a year ago that the Olympics were postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic, the first postponement since the modern Olympic began in 1896.
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