TOKYO: The Olympic torch relay set off from Fukushima on Thursday, beginning a four-month countdown to the summer Games in Tokyo, delayed from 2020 and the first ever organised during a global pandemic.

About 10,000 runners will carry the torch across Japan's 47 prefectures and far-flung islands, starting from the site of the 2011 quake and tsunami that killed about 20,000 people and sent tens of thousands fleeing radioactive plumes.

The first section of the relay did not have spectators, to prevent large crowds, and roadside onlookers elsewhere must wear masks and socially distance as Japan battles the deadly virus and scrambles to vaccinate its people.

"For the past year, as the entire world underwent a difficult period, the Olympic flame was kept alive quietly but powerfully," Tokyo 2020 president Seiko Hashimoto said at the opening ceremony.

"The small flame did not lose hope, and just like the cherry blossom buds that are ready to bloom, it was waiting for this day," Hashimoto said.

Casting a pall over the celebrations, North Korea launched at least two projectiles suspected to be ballistic missiles hours before the relay began, the first such test reported since U.S. President Joe Biden took office in January.

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga assured reporters in Tokyo the government was cooperating with the Tokyo government and the International Olympic Committee to host a secure Games.

"We will do our utmost in terms of coronavirus measures and continue to work with related areas to contain the spread of infections and hope to work towards a safe and secure Games," Suga said.

Japan has fared better than most countries during the pandemic, with fewer than 9,000 coronavirus deaths. But a third wave of infections has pushed the numbers to record highs, triggering a state of emergency in Tokyo and other areas that was lifted this week.

The majority of the public is against the Olympics being held as scheduled, polls show, and Japan has been the slowest among advanced economies with its vaccination roll out.

NO CROWDS OR CHEERING

The relay, which will culminate with the Olympic opening ceremony on July 23, has been hit by several high-profile runner cancellations as celebrities and top-level athletes have pulled out, citing late notice and worries over the pandemic.

The starting ceremony was held at J-Village in Fukushima, a sports complex converted for several years into a staging ground for workers decommissioning the crippled nuclear power plant.

"For the torch relay viewing, please ensure you are wearing a mask, keep proper distance, don't stand close to each other and support with things like clapping, instead of using a loud voice," an announcer at the site said.

Members of the Japanese national women's soccer team used the Olympic flame, flown in from Greece last year, to light the torch.

The runners, some wearing masks and white uniforms decorated with red, ran out of J-Village and passed on the flame to the next runner. About a dozen staff escorted the runner, racing together and following a van guiding the relay.

Helicopters for live broadcasting followed the run but only a handful of spectators lined the roads, keeping distance, clapping and waving, waiting for the torch to pass.

The brief and solemn ceremony - originally planned for thousands of fans as a celebration of Japan's recovery - was closed to the public.

It featured several low-key events, including a drum concert and dance performances by a group of residents from Fukushima, followed by a children's choir.

Several officials and athletes stood on a stage decorated with flowers from the disaster-hit areas arranged using Japan's traditional ikebana techniques.

"Fukushima's recovery is going steadily," Fukushima governor Masao Uchibori said at the launch.

"But there are still many people who can't return to their homes, and many difficult issues such as reviving these areas, rebuilding the lives of their residents," he said.

The torch will travel through some of the worst-hit areas first.

Japan has spent nearly $300 billion to revive the region, but many locals are apprehensive about the Games, as areas in Fukushima remain off-limits, worries about radiation linger and many who left have settled elsewhere. Decommissioning will take up to a century and cost billions of dollars.