Blue Impulse aerobatic jets are seen flying above Tokyo in this photo taken in the capital's Shinjuku Ward on Aug. 24, 2021. (Mainichi/Toshiki Miyama)

       TOKYO -- Japan's Air Self-Defense Force (ASDF) aerobatics team Blue Impulse drew red, blue and green lines with colored smoke in the skies above central Tokyo on the afternoon of Aug. 24, the day the Paralympic Games begin.

       Six jets departed the ASDF's Iruma Base in Saitama Prefecture, north of Tokyo, just before 2 p.m. on the day. They flew side by side eastward from the capital's Shibuya Ward, and drew six lines in the three colors used in the Paralympic symbol in the sky around the Japan National Stadium in Shinjuku Ward, where the opening ceremony will be held.

       As they turned north while changing formation, the aircraft took a flight clockwise above central Tokyo and skywrote five lines around Tokyo Skytree, Tokyo Station and Tokyo Tower, entertaining spectators on the ground.

       Blue Impulse drew the Olympic rings on the Games' opening day in July. As their flight schedule had been kept secret until the last minute, aviation fans and families crowded in many places to try and catch a glimpse of the rare sight. This time, the 2 p.m. flight schedule was announced the previous day on the ASDF's official Twitter account and elsewhere.

       (Japanese original by Yoshitake Matsuura, Tokyo City News Department)

       Font Size S M L Print Timeline 0