The Olympic Flame Arrives in Japan

The Olympic flame arrived in Japan on Friday from Greece in a subdued ceremony at an airbase in the country's north.

Housed in a container, the flame arrived amidst growing uncertainty about whether the Olympic Games will open as scheduled on July 24 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Organizers and the International Olympic Committee insist that the games will proceed. However, the possibility of postponing or even canceling the games seems to be increasing.

The plane carrying the flame had the words "Tokyo 2020 Olympic Torch Relay" printed on its side. The aircraft was greeted on the tarmac by a small group of officials from the organizing committee.

The flame was received by two of Japan's most famous Olympic athletes - Saori Yoshida, three-time gold medalist in wrestling, and Tadahiro Nomura, three-time judo champion.

The flame will stay in Japan for nearly a week until March 26, when the torch relay officially begins in Fukushima Prefecture. (D)