The athletes village for the Tokyo Olympics officially opened Tuesday, 10 days before the start of the world's largest sporting event, but the occasion passed with little fanfare as a renewed coronavirus surge puts a damper on the host city.
Unlike in the past, organizers opted not to hold a ceremony or a special event to welcome athletes and delegation officials to the 44-hectare village in Tokyo's Harumi waterfront district. Media were also not provided an opportunity to cover the opening, with organizers citing the need to take precautions against the spread of the virus.
A large number of police cars were parked outside the village as buses entered the fenced-off complex. National flags could be seen hanging from the balconies of some of the 21 residential buildings the complex houses.