Japan's emperor declares Tokyo Olympics open

"I declare open the Games of Tokyo," Naruhito said during a three-hour ceremony attended by just a few hundred officials and dignitaries and several thousand athletes in the 68,000-capacity Olympic Stadium.

Japan's Emperor Naruhito officially opened the Tokyo Olympics on Friday in a nearly empty stadium after the Games were postponed for a year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The flags of Japan and the Olympics wave during the opening ceremony in the Olympic Stadium at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Friday, July 23, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (AP)

"I declare open the Games of Tokyo," Naruhito said during a three-hour ceremony attended by just a few hundred officials and dignitaries and several thousand athletes in the 68,000-capacity Olympic Stadium.

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.