The Olympic flame arrived Friday in the region devastated by the Great East Japan Earthquake. A welcome ceremony at the Air Self-Defense Force's Matsushima base in Miyagi Prefecture was scaled down due to the spread of the new coronavirus, but local residents gathered for an event to light the "Flame of Revival."
When the chartered flight named "Tokyo 2020" carrying the flame landed at the Matsushima base shortly after 9:30 a.m., participants clapped each other's shoulders and joyfully shook hands.
Among the attendees was the torch's designer Tokujin Yoshioka, 53. "I'm so moved that the Olympic flame has arrived safely. I'm excited to think that the torch relay will finally start in Japan," Yoshioka said.
At the time of the disaster in 2011, the tsunami inundated 28 aircraft including fighter jets at the base. After its functions were restored, the base served as a hub for rescuing victims and transporting relief supplies. The Tokyo Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games chose the base as the destination for the special plane to symbolize the disaster-hit area.
About 200 local primary school students were not allowed to take part in the event, to prevent them from possibly being infected with the virus. At the ceremony, organizing committee president Yoshiro Mori said, "It was an agonizing decision, considering how much the children had been looking forward to welcoming the torch."
After that, the acrobatic squadron Blue Impulse from the Matsushima base appeared. Strong winds swept away the Olympic mark that the Blue Impulse was supposed to paint with colored smoke in the sky, before they successfully drew straight lines in five colors.
"They conveyed the message to the whole world that this place has been reconstructed to the point where we welcome the Olympic torch," a 79-year-old housewife who lives nearby said with a smile after watching the planes.
The Olympic flame was opened to the public shortly after 3:30 p.m. as the Flame of Revival at the Ishinomaki Minamihama Tsunami Memorial Park in Ishinomaki. The area was once densely populated but was hit by the tsunami. It is currently designated as a disaster hazard area where the building of houses is not permitted.
The 1.6-meter high torch, which was modeled after the shape of a cherry blossom, was lit amid strong wind blowing at over 10 mps. A stick was used to transfer the flame from a lantern.
About 1,500 people applauded and took photos in front of the torch.
A 75-year-old man said: "Watching the Olympic flame gave me strength. I hope the whole nation comes to know the recovery of the disaster-stricken area through this fire." His wife, 59 at the time of the disaster, is still missing and his restaurant near the park was struck by the tsunami.
The Flame of Revival is on display at the east exit of Sendai Station on Saturday, before touring Iwate and Fukushima prefectures.
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
