Koike was joined by Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee President Seiko Hashimoto - who took over from Yoshiro Mori after the former Japanese Prime Minister made sexist comments - at the same venue as the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, as well as athletics.

On July 23 2021, the Olympics opened in Tokyo, a year later than expected due to a postponement caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Governor Koike said the first Games to be held during a pandemic were a "success" and boasted the "many legacies" of the Olympics.

"Because of these Games, Tokyo is standing at a new start line," said Koike, as reported to Kyodo News.

Tokyo 2020 was held without spectators due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Japanese Olympic Committee President Yasuhiro Yamashita could not attend the event due to contracting COVID-19.

Some athletes who attended included the first Japanese woman to win Olympic boxing gold Sena Irie and Olympic wrestling champion Takuto Otoguro.

A year on from the Games, Japanese authorities have launched an investigation into payments made by a sponsor to a member of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Organising Committee.

Over ¥40 million (£244,000/$293,000/€287,000) is alleged to have been made by clothing chain Aoki Holdings, a Tokyo 2020 sponsor to a sports consultancy run by Tokyo 2020 Board member Haruyuki Takahashi.

Elsewhere, International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach reflected on the Games.

"The Organising Committee and the IOC together gave the athletes of the world the opportunity to live their Olympic dreams, and we managed not to lose an entire generation of athletes in 206 National Olympic Committees across the globe," he said to Kyodo News.