Just a few days after the amazing Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Olympic and Paralympic flag completed its long journey from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and arrived in Tokyo. The Olympic, Paralympic and Japanese national flags were hoisted and flown together at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Plaza in Shinjuku, one of the Japanese capital’s liveliest areas, marking the latest in a series of milestones bridging the two host cities.
The flag-raising ceremony gathered 3,000 spectators and was followed by the kick-off of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic flag tour. During the coming year, the Olympic and Paralympic flags will be exhibited in more than 60 sites in and around Tokyo, including some of the small islands that are part of the metropolis, and in three of the prefectures affected by the 2011 East Japan earthquake. These events are aimed at building further awareness and support for the Games throughout the country.