This photo taken July 21, 2021, from a Kyodo News helicopter shows Fukushima Azuma stadium in Fukushima, where the Tokyo Olympic softball tournament's opener between Japan and Australia was played without spectators in the stands amid the coronavirus pandemic, two days before the opening ceremony of the Olympics. (Kyodo)
FUKUSHIMA, Japan (Kyodo) -- The very first event of the Tokyo Olympics was staged Wednesday in Fukushima to little fanfare, while quite a few local people are disheartened that the initial underlying theme of the Tokyo Olympics to showcase its recovery from the 2011 massive earthquake has been overshadowed by the coronavirus pandemic.
A softball match between Japan and Australia, held at Fukushima Azuma stadium in the northeastern Japanese city in the morning, marked the de facto start of the Olympics, two days before their formal opening.
Road closures were enforced around the stadium, where the match took place without spectators as a precaution against the spread of the virus, and access to the ballpark was strictly restricted.
As motorcades led by cars of police and security authorities carrying officials and press members entered the stadium, there was no sense of a festive mood.
All associated events that had been planned around the venue prior to the no-spectator policy were cancelled as part of COVID-19 countermeasures. The only notable sounds heard in the area were that of a helicopter circling over the site and screaming cicadas.
"The bid for the games was made under the flag of 'Reconstruction Olympics,' but now it is hard to see the theme as the coronavirus overshadows everything," said Nobuyuki Saito, secretary general of a nonprofit organization in Fukushima. "I think it is regrettable."
To help build momentum toward the Olympics, set to formally begin Friday in the capital about 260 kilometers from Fukushima, Saito had been active in volunteer activities as he wanted people around the world to see recovering Fukushima Prefecture, which was devastated by the quake, ensuing tsunami and nuclear crisis a decade ago.
About 36,000 evacuees, especially those from near the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, have not been able to return home yet, but radiation levels have gone down to safe levels in most parts of the area now.
The Japanese leg of the torch relay started at the prefecture's J-Village soccer training center, used as an operation base for workers who battled the nuclear crisis for years, in late March to go through hundreds of municipalities in all of Japan's 47 prefectures.
"As the games were regarded as an opportunity to show the current status of Fukushima, a variety of plans had been under way before the no-spectator decision," said Seiichi Anbai, chairman of the Fukushima city softball association.
"Our emotions are polarized because considering the coronavirus situation, it is sort of understandable, but at the same time, we wanted the games being held with an audience," Anbai, 69, said.
But Anbai said he still hopes that more people will know about softball and play the sport because of the Olympics."
Some people in Fukushima, especially sports lovers, are still excited about the Olympics and Paralympics being staged in Japan and remain optimistic about the games' possible accomplishments.
"I'm excited to watch those games. I think they will pick up momentum as Japanese athletes deliver moving performances and win medals," said Ryosuke Yamazaki, a public high school teacher in Fukushima, adding he personally looks forward the most to watching the track and field events.
Saito, 67, also said, "I think people will talk about the Olympics held under the pandemic for a long time. I strongly hope the games will be a success even without spectators."
After barring overseas spectators in March, Olympic organizers made the unprecedented decision earlier this month to stage almost all competitions without allowing ticket holders in the stands due to a resurgence of COVID-19 infections in Tokyo and elsewhere.
Fukushima Mayor Hiroshi Kohata has said that holding the games with "no spectators is a pity, but we ought not to take down our 'Reconstruction Olympics' banner."
The Olympic baseball opener will also be held at the same ballpark on July 28, between Japan and the Dominican Republic.
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga stressed in an interview last week that the meaning of the Olympics will not be lost even though the events are held behind closed doors because some 4 billion people around the world will likely watch the games on television and other screens.
"I hope they can see the recovery of Fukushima via audiovisual footage," Suga said.
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