It was kindled in Olympia in March last year in front of no spectators, as COVID-19 precautions closed all archaeological sites in Greece.

The Relay in Greece was then suspended after crowds flocked around film star Gerard Butler as he carried the Flame in Sparta.

Gerard Butler Olympic Flame

The official handover to Tokyo 2020 was also conducted in a truncated and socially distanced ceremony at the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens.

The passage of the Torch through Japan was delayed for a year after the postponement of the Games, which are due to open here on July 23.

But the Relay is now completing its first week in the Tokyo Metropolitan area, albeit with only brief  "alternative lighting format" ceremonies.

The majority of the Relay to the Opening Ceremony has taken place "off-road" without involvement from the public, with the event a far more low key occasion when compared to other Games.

In Tokyo 1964 there was more to be excited about, with high priestess invited to Japan where she met cauldron lighter Yoshinori Sakai in the Olympic Stadium.