ADVERTISEMENTJapan has began the three-year countdown for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
The games will be the first the country has hosted since the 1964 edition.
The event included a flag waving ceremony and futuristic projections.
Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike said she hoped to lead the Olympics to success.
The International Olympic Committee has praised the city’s preparation. But the organisers have faced a rocky road since the games were awarded with a ballooning budget and a Games logo had to be ditched following allegations of plagiarism.
Other events held across Japan include a 1,000-kilometre (620-mile) running and cycling relay from the northern prefecture of Aomori to Tokyo.
There was also a surfing exhibition at the Tsurigasaki beach venue where the event will make its Olympic debut.