The Olympics torch relay event was initially scheduled for July 7th to 9th 2020. Due to the coronavirus and the delay in the Olympics the event was postponed. It has been rescheduled to take place between Tuesday July 6th to Thursday July 8th.
Every prefecture participates in the torch relay. It started in Fukushima and will end in Tokyo. The torch will pass through all 47 prefectures. Saitama is the second last, 46th on the list, and it will arrive from Ibaraki before the Saitama torch relay three day event starts. For three days from July 6th it will pass through dozens of Saitama’s cities and towns. But there are also a few it will not visit. On each day, there is one “celebration site” where there will be a ceremony.
Torch Relay Dates and Places for 2021
The torch will come to Saitama from Tsukuba on July 6th. Each day between 80 and 90 people will have the great honor of carrying the torch about 200 meters each.
Awaiting updated information for 2021.
July 6th
The Aviation Memorial Park in Tokorozawa will be the special site, called a “celebration” site, on the route on day 1 of the torch relay through Saitama.
The towns and cities the torch will pass through on July 6th 2021 are:
- Kawaguchi – 8.38 am to 9:04 am
- Warabi – 10:23 am to 10:47 am
- Toda – 11:10 am to 11:20 am
- Wako
- Asaka
- Niiza
- Hidaka – departs Koma Shrine at 2 pm, arrives at Kinchakuda at 2.54 pm where there will be a mini celebration
- Sayama
- Fujimi
- MIyoshi
- Fujimino
- Tokorozawa – celebration site, torch arrives at 8.02 pm
July 7th
The Sports and Culture park in Kumagaya will be the celebration site on day 2 of the torch relay through Saitama.
The towns and cities the torch will pass through on July 7th are:
- Soka – departs from Matsubara Promenade at 8.10 am
- Yashio
- Misato
- Yoshikawa
- Koshigaya
- Chichibu – departs Chichibu Shrine at 11.11 am
- Minano
- Nagatoro – arrives at Nagatoro Station around 1.14 pm. Mini celebration site.
- Kasukabe
- Sugito
- Miyashiro
- Kuki
- Kazo
- Gyoda
- Kumagaya – departs Toyota Corolla at 7.26 pm, arrives around 8.05 pm at the Kumagaya Sports and Culture Park – the celebration site for day 2.
July 8th
Saitama Shintoshin in Saitama City will be the celebration site of day 3, the final day, of the relay torch passing through Saitama.
The towns and cities the torch will pass through on July 8th are:
- Kawagoe – departure ceremony at 8.44 am
- Tsurugashima
- Sakado
- Honjo
- Fukaya – mini celebration at Fukaya Station North exit
- Ranzan
- Higashimatsuyama
- Namegawa
- Konosu
- Kitamoto
- Okegawa
- Ageo
- Saitama City – torch departs Musashi Ichinomiya Hikawa Shrine at 7.20 pm, arrives Saitama Shintoshin Celebration site at 8.02 pm.
After Saitama, the torch will pass to Machida City in Tokyo.
Unfortunately as the event and details have changed numerous times in the last 18 months I cannot provide further solid information, but you can follow all the latest on the Official Saitama route web page.