Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike brought the Olympic flag to Japan from Brazil on Wednesday and called for all parties to work together to host a successful Summer Games in 2020.
Koike, speaking at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan, said organisers were still hopeful venues could be filled with spectators when the Olympics begin in July.
Coronavirus outbreak has sparked speculation about whether the Games, scheduled to open July 24, could be postponed or even cancelled.
Asked about the campaign against the Games, Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike said she would work towards a "safe and secure" Olympics.
'We will do our best to prevent coronavirus infections here in Japan and also to welcome the athletes from all over the world.'
'Risk for the other residents of Olympic village and risk for the Japanese people is zero'
IOC president Thomas Bach said on Thursday that the Tokyo Summer Olympic Games will be held as scheduled, in an interview with Kyodo News.
Rains failed to dampen the famous Rio carnival spirit as this Brazilian city bid an emotional farewell to the thousands of athletes of the world in a colourful closing ceremony to bring down curtains on the 31st Olympic Games.
Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike said on Thursday that beating the coronavirus is essential to host a safe and secure Tokyo Olympics, but that it is still too early to discuss the timing of a decision on whether the Games should go ahead as scheduled.
The flame was carried to the podium by three-time Paralympic shooter Taguchi Aki. It was a special moment for Taguchi, as it came 106-days after she lit the celebration cauldron when the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Torch Relay was re-started in Fukushima on March 25, this year.
The Tokyo Olympics were postponed from 2020 to 2021 due to the coronavirus. The pandemic has continued to spread, casting a shadow over the viability of hosting the Games next year.
The poll released on Tuesday found a global average of 46 per cent interest in the Games, but excitement varied across markets
Japan's former defence minister Yuriko Koike, a former newsreader who is fluent in Arabic, has made a bold bid for power on Monday by launching an attempt to become Japan's first woman prime minister.
Bach's two-day visit to Tokyo is likely to bolster Japan's efforts to stage the Olympics, but will do little to assuage the concerns of a public deeply worried about the spread of the virus.
Olympic and Paralympic tickets purchased by overseas residents will be refunded
The Tokyo Olympics had originally been scheduled for 2020 but were postponed by a year because of the pandemic.
Bach said Tokyo was 'the best-prepared Olympic city,' in remarks at the start of a three-day virtual IOC session.
Two women are in contention to become prime minister for the first time in Japan's history -- a potential turning point for a country that ranks below Saudi Arabia in terms of female political representation, points out Rajaram Panda.
Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike said on Thursday that organisers were looking at ways to simplify the Games.
As an admirer of Japan for close to half a century, I care for Japan and expect Suga to respect the sentiment of his people and cancel the Olympics without further delay, says Rajaram Panda.
During his speech, he recalled the role of sport and the Olympic Games to build bridges, bring people together and shape the peace.
Many Japanese and medical experts oppose staging the 2020 Games as planned from July 23, after already being postponed a year, as their nation suffers a fourth infection wave.
Batra's comment has come after critics from Japan on Friday submitted a petition, calling for the Games to be cancelled as the host nation fights a fourth wave of coronavirus infections.
The IOC and the Japanese government postponed the Games last month until July 2021 because of the impact of the coronavirus outbreak. It will be impossible to host the Tokyo Olympic Games next year unless the coronavirus pandemic is contained, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said.
Shivpal Singh, who booked his Tokyo ticket at a meet in South Africa on Tuesday, says athletes are trained to get over setbacks but missing out on the Olympics would be on another level.
The Japanese and Tokyo metropolitan governments, local organisers and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) have all sought to quash persistent speculation that the Games could be cancelled or postponed.
Tokyo was certainly in a celebratory mood on Friday as a vibrant performance, including fireworks in the shape and colour of the five Olympic rings, briefly lit up the skyline of the city of over 14 million people.
The International Olympic Commission will not change its decision to move the 2020 marathon to Sapporo to avoid the heat, a top Tokyo Olympics planning official said on Friday, despite pleas from Tokyo's governor to keep the race in the capital.
Japan is still preparing to host the Olympics, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Saturday, despite rising global concern about the viability of the summer Games due to the coronavirus outbreak. He said Japan has a relatively low infection rate and has not seen an explosion in cases as seen in South Korea, China, Italy, Iran and elsewhere. He said delaying the peak of infections is vital to ensure treatment of those in critical condition.
Alcohol sales have been restricted in and around Tokyo after health officials warned drinking would encourage close contact, loud speaking and mingling in bars that could help spread the virus.
Closures, travel restrictions, and self-isolation measures due to the coronavirus have cleared public squares, roads, and travel destinations across the globe. Photographers have been capturing the eerie stillness of these public spaces, recently emptied of the crowds they were built for.
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said he didn't have the authority to demand Mori's resignation, the Jiji news agency reported.
Some critics contend that Japan's rush to secure supplies is driven largely by a political desire to show the world it is fully committed to hosting the Games.
A government spokesman said there was "no truth" to a report in Britain's Times newspaper that the government had privately concluded the Games would have to be cancelled.
In recognition of the award for Sharma, the Asia Society said the officer "has led the investigation and prosecution of several high-profile crimes in India, including the infamous Delhi gang rape case that earlier this year turned into a television series. She has transformed police work and the roles of policewomen in India."
Scientists and medical experts are concerned about how things might look next summer, a year after the Tokyo Games were postponed.
Nothing is certain as Tokyo's postponed Olympics hit the 100-days-to-go mark on Wednesday
IOC stunned many Games organisers last month by announcing that the marathon, one of the most prestigious events at any Olympics, would be moved to the northern Japanese city of Sapporo to avoid the worst of Tokyo's summer heat.
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) warned Tokyo 2020 organisers on Friday that more accessible hotels and transport options must be found ahead of the showpiece event.
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