Follow the Tokyo Olympic Torch Relay and look for people and things you know

Source: Xinhua Net

The Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee recently announced the route for the Olympic torch relay. On March 25, the flame, which was lit in Greece a year ago and has undergone a series of twists and turns, will depart from Fukushima and begin a 121-day relay throughout all 47 prefectures in Japan, until the evening of July 23, when it arrives at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games.

The route of this torch relay circles Japan clockwise along eastern Japan. On March 27, after the torch was passed on Fukushima, the earthquake-stricken area of 2011, it will travel south along the East Road, avoiding several prefectures near Tokyo, passing through Osaka and Kyoto to Kagoshima in the southeast of Kyushu Island, then flying by plane to Okinawa Prefecture, the southernmost prefecture, then flying to Kumamoto Prefecture on Kyushu Island, heading north along the western coast until it reaches Hokkaido, then traveling south from Sapporo back to the earthquake-stricken area 10 years ago, and finally heading south to the Tokyo Metropolitan Area for a pass.

Now let's accompany the torch and trace the scenes that we are familiar with in Japan, looking for characters and stories in memory.

At 7:05 p.m. on May 26, the torch will depart from The Tang Gate of Nijo Castle in central Kyoto for a one-hour pass around the city. A glance at the name of the starting point shows the relationship between Kyoto and Datang. Known as "Xijing", Japan's ancient capital was built in imitation of the Tang Dynasty's Chang'an, and there are many monuments. In Arashiyama, west of Kyoto, there is a stone monument commemorating Premier Zhou Enlai, which is inscribed with the poem "Arashiyama in the Rain" written by Premier Zhou during his visit to Kyoto in April 1919.

The poem says:

"The truth of all things on earth."

The more you seek, the more obscure it becomes

I saw a little light in the blur."

Shortly after writing this poem, 21-year-old Premier Zhou returned to the motherland by boat and embarked on a new road to national salvation.

The concept of the Tokyo Olympic Torch Relay is "Hope Lights Our Way", which means hope to illuminate the way forward. IOC President Bach has said many times: "The Tokyo Olympics will be the light at the end of the dark tunnel under the epidemic. ”

Sendai, Chinese very familiar place. On June 21, the torch will be passed in the center of Sendai. Sendai is not large, and you can walk across the city in 40 minutes. There are Lu Xun's former residence, Lu Xun Monument and Lu Xun statue. On March 11, 2011, a major earthquake and a 10-meter-high tsunami hit Sendai, causing heavy losses, but Lu Xun's former residence and Lu Xun's sculpture were spared.

Mr. Fujino later returned from Sendai to his birthplace of Ashwara Town, Fukui Prefecture, because of Lu Xun's famous work, Fukui built Fujino's former residence and built a "Farewell" monument on a mountain, the name of which is from the handwritten inscription on The photograph given to Lu Xun by Fujino. The Olympic flame will arrive in Fukui on May 29.

On June 28, the torch relay will take place in Fujisawa City, Kanagawa Prefecture, starting at Kandai Park in the city center. Not far from the seashore, is the Nie Er Monument. On July 17, 1935, Nie Er, the composer of the "March of the Volunteer Army", drowned while swimming here, at the age of 23. In order to commemorate him, people of insight in Fujisawa City established the Nie Er Monument here in 1954, and established the Nie Er Monument Preservation Association, which holds a commemorative ceremony every year.

Not far from the monument is Enoshima, where the Olympic regatta is located, with a memorial pavilion where Nie Er's hometown of Kunming and Fujisawa are sister cities.

Tian Han, the lyricist of the March of the Volunteer Army, also stayed in Japan for many years, and he mentioned his visit to Nagasaki in 1927 in his article "Impressions of Japan". The Olympic torch will arrive in Nagasaki on May 7, departing at peace memorial park in the city center. The torch arrived in Hiroshima, another atomic bombing city, on May 17, also at peace memorial park.

At 7:55 p.m. on April 12, the Olympic torch will depart from Kofuku-ji Temple in Nara and begin its transmission in the ancient city, ending at the Great Buddha Hall of Todaiji Temple. Both Xingfu Temple and Dongda Temple had a close relationship with the famous Tang Dynasty monk Jian Zhen. After many hardships and hardships, Jian Zhen once debated with Japanese monks at Kofuku-ji Temple, and then raised an altar in Todaiji Temple, where he ordained about 500 Japanese royalty and monks. On May 6, 763, Kanjin died at Tangzhaoti Temple in Nara.

Six months after the Tokyo Olympics is the Beijing Winter Olympics, and the torch of the Tokyo Olympics is also related to the Winter Olympics, because Japan has hosted two Winter Olympics, Nagano in 1998 and Sapporo in 1972.

At 4:31 p.m. on April 1, the torch will start at Matsukawa River Park in Hakuba Village, Nagano, and end at the Hakuba Ski Jumping Resort, the stadium of the Winter Olympics that year. The torch then travels to the city center, passing by the Olympic Stadium, which was once the main venue.

The torch arrived in Sapporo on June 14. In addition to bringing people back to the moment when the Winter Olympics were held nearly half a century ago, it will also bring more expectations, because Sapporo is bidding for the 2030 Winter Olympics.

On June 25, the torch relay will be held on the Izu Peninsula, and the fourth stop will be Izu City, which is Izu from "Izu Maiko" starring Momoe Yamaguchi. The last stop of the day's pass is the Asama Shrine in Honmiya City, which has an excellent angle to photograph Mt. Fuji.

On July 9, after three and a half months of passing, the torch finally arrived in Tokyo. At 9:15 a.m., it will depart from komazawa Olympic Park Stadium, one of the main venues of the 1964 Olympic Games, and begin its transit on the outskirts of Tokyo. On 20 July, the torch returned to the city until 23 July, when it reached the Olympic Stadium and lit the main torch, culminating in the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games.