By: Muhammad Rayhansyah Jasin
Source: NBC News
Japan is preparing to hold the biggest sporting event in the world, the Tokyo Olympics 2020. The quadrennial summer games had to be postponed for more than a year, due to the devastating Covid-19 pandemic. The games have been rescheduled to begin on July 23rd and last for 17 days straight until August 8th. Broad measures such as health protocols, social distancing requirements, and mask mandates have been introduced as ways to mitigate and prevent further spread of Covid-19.
As per tradition, the Olympics will hold a number of pre-show events. The Olympic Torch Relay is one of those sacred traditions. According to the Tokyo 2020 official site, the relay which is planned to last for 4 months, will begin in Fukushima on March 25th and end in Tokyo minutes before the opening ceremony.
All of Japan’s prefectures will be visited and jointly organize the running as a symbol of harmonious cooperation. Certainly, Oita Prefecture and especially Beppu City will have the chance to feel the excitement and the joyfulness of this event as well. Â
The Oita Prefectural Olympic Torch Relay Committee has released a detailed schedule regarding the run (attached at the end of this article). The runner will start at the Beppu International Port near Shoningahama Park, at 10am the 23rd of April.
There are 16 various sites that serve as individual checkpoints in the relay. Certain tourist attractions and public places will be passed through by the runners like Mochigahama Beach and Beppu International Plaza. The relay will be covered by the news and live streams of local media all over Japan, and will finish at Matogahama Park at 10:37am.
Source: GaijinGoJapan
An APU student, Tomita Yutaro, a freshman from Miyazaki voiced his concern about the Summer Games. He opposed the games being held this year out of fear it would become a super-spreader event, a common notion that has been shared by many scientists concerned by the Games.
 "The vaccination rate among Japanese citizens is still too slow and I fear that we don't have much time to inoculate enough people to conduct a safe game," he stated.Â
Nevertheless, Yutaro is still interested in attending the torch relay here in Beppu City.Â
"It's a once in a lifetime event, of course I want to feel the excitement."Â
He also added that, if he can be in Tokyo at the time the Olympics begin and if the government allows spectators, he will attend at least one of the events .Â
"I don't want to miss this chance, God knows when we will have another chance
to host this grand show again."
Click on the following links if you wish to check the full schedule of The Olympic Torch Relay for Oita and Beppu:
https://tokyo2020.org/en/torch/route/oita/
https://gtimg.tokyo2020.org/image/upload/production/gsot6uqgkcebx7e5wfz6.pdf
Source of Pictures
http://gaijingojapan.com/coast-of-beppu/shoningahama-seaside-park-of-beppu/