Tennis star Naomi Osaka lit the cauldron at the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olym to mark the official start of this year’s delayed Games.
The Japanese grand-slam winner carried the Olympic torch up the steps of the cauldron sat atop a peak inspired by Mount Fiji, with a sphere shaped like a flower with its petals open.
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Tokyo Olym start with a bang
Earlier, athletes bearing the flags of their respective nations paraded into Tokyo’s Olympic Stadium with their delegations.
Sailor Hannah Mills and rower Mohamed Sbihi led Team GB’s 22 athletes out, the flagbearers fist-bumping as they waved the Union Jack.
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Six highlights from Olympic opening ceremony
Greece came in first as per tradition, followed by the Refugee Olympic team – while the host nation entered last.
The other 204 delegations were put in the order of the Japanese alphabet – so Iceland and Ireland preceded Azerbaijan.
An orchestral medley of songs from iconic Japanese games served as the soundtrack to the parade – including the Final Fantasy series’ theme and “Victory Fanfare,” the song that plays when a player wins an encounter.
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Protests held outside Olympic stadium
But there were also signs of the opposition to the Olym being staged amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Outside the stadium, protesters faced off with police as they held up signs saying “Stop the Olym – No Olym” and “Cancel the Olym! Save lives!”.
Demonstrators have criticised the Japanese government for what some say is prioritising the Olym over the nation’s health and have called for the Games to be abandoned.
Close to the near-empty stadium, protesters were also seen holding up banners reading “Olym kill the poor” and chanting “Cancel the Olym”.
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Protesters demonstrate outside the stadium
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Protesters have voiced anger at the Olym being held during the coronavirus pandemic
The Games, which are being held largely without spectators and are opposed by much of the host nation, are going ahead a year later than planned due to the COVID pandemic.
Public opinion polls show most Japanese residents are against the decision to hold the world sporting event in the capital, which is under a coronavirus state of emergency.
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Protesters against the Games gathered outside the stadium
The event started with a performer seeming to morph from a seed into a plant through the use of overhead projections.
A compilation then showed Japan’s path to the Games since its selection as the host country in 2013 – with a notable focus on the impact of COVID-19.
Athletes were seen training alone in domestic spaces as they prepared for the Games.
A countdown kicked off fireworks above the stadium, which turned indigo and blue in the shape of a fan – an auspicious symbol in Japanese culture.
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Boxer and nurse Arisa Tsubata ran on a treadmill in an opening sequence
Lone performers dressed as athletes were shown exercising on equipment as projections of lines and circles linked them to each other, a nod to the way the internet has connected people during the pandemic.
Dancers performed using pieces of red elastic ropes binding them together.
The Japanese flag was carried into the stadium by athletes and a paramedic, leading up to a representation of Mount Fuji.
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Japan’s flag was hoisted high during the ceremony
Japan’s national anthem was sung and a moment of silence was held to remember “friends and loved ones no longer with us”, particularly those lost to the pandemic.
There was also specific mention of Israeli Olympic team members who were killed by Palestinian gunmen at the 1972 Munich Olym.
The families of the 11 victims had long asked the International Olympic Committee to hold a minute’s silence at a Games opening ceremony, but were previously unsuccessful.
Guided by the light of many paper lanterns, giant wooden rings were carried onto the field on a platform.
The pull of a rope transformed them into the Olympic symbol.
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The Olympic rings were formed with wood from trees planted during the 1964 Olym
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Dancers dressed as carpenters performed during the opening ceremony
The performance of putting the rings together began with the “Kiyari Uta,” a traditional work song that has been sung for centuries by labourers to synchronise their efforts.
The rings were made from trees grown from seeds brought by international athletes in 1964, the last time Tokyo hosted the Games.
Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus received the Olympic Laurel for his pioneering work as a micro-lender hailed for cutting poverty across the globe.
After the parade, performers rearranged 45 rectangular boxes in different colours to form the Tokyo 2020 emblem when seen from above.
The shimmering light of 1,800 drones formed the same emblem in the sky.
Their movement formed a globe above the stadium, after which John Lennon’s Imagine was performed by John Legend, Keith Urban and others.
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Japanese history was celebrated in the event
The Games were delayed by a year and spectators were banned two weeks ago over concerns about the spread of COVID-19.
Approximately 1,000 dignitaries and news media members are present to witness the event live in a stadium designed to host thousands of people.
Only 15 global leaders are in attendance, along with Japanese Emperor Naruhito and US First Lady Jill Biden.
