The Tokyo Olympic torch relay entered the Kanto region on the 28th, and the first runner started in Ashikaga City, Tochigi Prefecture on the morning of the 28th.

The Tokyo Olympic torch relay, which began on the 25th of this month in Fukushima Prefecture, entered the Kanto region on the 28th, and the departure ceremony was held on the morning of the 28th at the athletics stadium in Ashikaga City, Tochigi Prefecture.



At the ceremony, in order to prevent the infection of the new coronavirus, measures such as limiting the audience to those who applied in advance and spacing the seats were taken, and local children made a powerful drum sound on the stage. I did.



After 9 am, the torch of the talent, Kunikazu Katsumata, who will be the first runner in Tochigi prefecture, was lit by a torch, and Katsumata started walking slowly.

On the other hand, Tochigi Prefecture and other prefectures are calling for support by running publicity vehicles to keep spectators away along the road, but many people are rushing on Sunday 28th.



When the audience was seen in multiple rows, the staff said, "Avoid crowding."

A woman who cheered along the road said, "I'm really impressed because I don't think I'll ever see it again. I'm glad that the volunteers worked to avoid the crowds."



Also, a man living in Ashikaga said, "I feel a little dense. I hope I can manage to hold it safely, but I have some concerns."



The torch relay in Tochigi Prefecture will be held on the 28th and 29th in 16 cities and towns in the prefecture, and 192 runners will connect the torch.

First runner talent Kunikazu Katsumata "I was very happy to support you."

The first runner in Tochigi Prefecture is Kunikazu Katsumata (56), a talent who participates in the Ashikaga Marathon every year and is appointed as the "Ambassador of Ashikaga Shine" to promote the attractions of sightseeing in the city. It was.



Mr. Katsumata said, "By running as a representative of the city that I am indebted to, I ran with the hope that many people would be energized by running. The people in the city supported me. I was very happy about that. "



Regarding the distance I ran about 80 meters in the athletics stadium, he said, "I had a dog for about 9 months and ran about 10 kilometers a day with me, so I wanted to run more." Was there.

Celebrity runners will not be announced until just before the crowd will be interrupted if not resolved

Tochigi Prefecture has compiled a manual for measures to prevent the infection of the new coronavirus when implementing the torch relay, and is taking measures along the road and at the ceremony venue.



First, there are measures along the road.



On the roadside, public relations vehicles such as prefectures run in advance on the route where runners run, calling for people not to be crowded.



In order to avoid the crowd from concentrating on the section where celebrity runners run, the section where runners run is not disclosed until 30 minutes before the start.



If it is still crowded with a large number of spectators, it calls for avoiding crowding, but if it does not resolve, it is possible to interrupt the relay at that location and "skip" it.



In addition, we encourage people to wear masks and applaud without making a loud voice, refrain from cheering along the roadside other than the city or town where they live, and watch live on the Internet as much as possible. I will.



Next, we will take measures at ceremonies such as departure ceremonies.



At the ceremony, the number of spectators was limited and application was required in advance.



At the venue, in addition to thoroughly measuring and disinfecting the temperature of visitors, the staff also fills in the health condition such as body temperature on the check sheet from two weeks ago to manage the physical condition.



The spectators will be able to secure a distance of 2 meters as much as possible, and will take measures such as making the flow line one-way.