Fukushima residents react to hosting first event of the Tokyo Olympics

Residents in Fukushima Prefecture expressed their excitement as Olympic softball games began in the prefecture on Wednesday ahead of the official start of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics on July 23rd.

Host Japan got off to a winning start when the Tokyo Olympics got underway after a one-year delay, beating Australia 8-1.

The game was played in a nearly empty stadium. Fans were barred from the Olympics because of the coronavirus pandemic, which caused a one year delay.

Many in Japan have questioned whether the Olympics should take place at all with low levels of vaccination in the nation.

The Olympics had been seen as an opportunity for Japan to show recovery from a devastating earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster a decade ago.