FUKUSHIMA/TOKYO. – When Shusaku Sagi was 19, he watched his soccer training center at J-Village in Fukushima morph into a base for workers decommissioning the nuclear power plant nearby after the 2011 earthquake crippled it and caused thousands to flee.
On Thursday, the sports complex will house the starting ceremony for the Olympic torch relay, kicking off a countdown to the Games in Tokyo– the first ever organized during a deadly pandemic.
“Big sports events like the Olympics can energize people and send a message to the world to not forget Fukushima,” said Sagi, now 29, who organizes youth soccer tournaments at J-Village.
Members of the Japanese national women’s soccer team will use the Olympic flame, flown in from Greece, to light the torch. But the ceremony– originally planned for thousands of fans as a celebration of Japan’s recovery– will be closed to the public. — Reuters
