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    Ken Shimura, popular comedian in Japan, dead at 70 after contracting coronavirus

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    Ken Shimura, a popular comedian in Japan, has died after contracting the coronavirus, becoming the country’s first known celebrity victim of the disease. He was 70.

    Shimura — who drew inspiration from the late comedic icon Jerry Lewis and attracted fans of all generations with his slapstick comedy and funny faces — had been treated at a Tokyo hospital and died on Sunday, according to his agency, Izawa Office.

    He was diagnosed with pneumonia after contracting COVID-19. Shimura was hospitalized on March 20 after developing a fever and breathing troubles and was put on a ventilator. He reportedly tested positive for the virus on March 23.

    MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY URGES FANS TO STAY INSIDE: ‘WE ARE AT WAR WITH A VIRUS’

    Japanese comedian Ken Shimura, seen here in 2011, has died of the coronavirus, according to his agency, Izawa Office.
    (Kyodo News via AP, File)

    The news of his death came as new cases have spiked in Tokyo, with the city’s governor warning of an explosive spread of the virus in the region. The news topped Japanese television news and talk shows on Monday, and some fans and media gathered outside the hospital where doctors had tried to save Shimura’s life.

    His death sent shock waves throughout Japan. Shimura was a former member of the comedy rock band the Drifters, a household name in the 1970s and 1980s, and gained fame while starring in the group’s prime-time comedy show, “It’s 8 o’clock, Gather Everyone!”

    CELEBS PRACTICE SOCIAL DISTANCING AMID CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK

    As People magazine noted, Shimura has been described as Japan’s Robin Williams.

    Born Yasunori Shimura, he recently was known for his popular character Baka Tonosama (Stupid Warlord) on TV comedy shows. He also led his comedy theater, Shimurakon (Shimura Spirit), since 2006.

    Japanese comedian Ken Shimura, seen here in 2012, gained fame in a prime-time comedy show.
    (Kyodo News via AP, File)

    Shimura’s death came as he was preparing for a new film. He also had been set to run in the Olympic torch relay in July to represent Higashimurayama, a town in Tokyo’s suburbs, his agency said. Japan and Olympic officials have agreed to postpone the games until next year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

    CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

    “I don’t think Shimura himself expected to have to go this way,” an Izawa Office staff member told reporters, adding that some of his comedy shows were slated to air on TV.

    “I hope you will remember him and laugh,” he said. “Until the end, he was committed to present laughter to the people.”

    The Associated Press contributed to this report

    Ken Shimura, popular comedian in Japan, dead at 70 after contracting coronavirus

    Get all the latest news on coronavirus and more delivered daily to your inbox.  Sign up here.

    Ken Shimura, a popular comedian in Japan, has died after contracting the coronavirus, becoming the country’s first known celebrity victim of the disease. He was 70.

    Shimura — who drew inspiration from the late comedic icon Jerry Lewis and attracted fans of all generations with his slapstick comedy and funny faces — had been treated at a Tokyo hospital and died on Sunday, according to his agency, Izawa Office.

    He was diagnosed with pneumonia after contracting COVID-19. Shimura was hospitalized on March 20 after developing a fever and breathing troubles and was put on a ventilator. He reportedly tested positive for the virus on March 23.

    MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY URGES FANS TO STAY INSIDE: ‘WE ARE AT WAR WITH A VIRUS’

    Japanese comedian Ken Shimura, seen here in 2011, has died of the coronavirus, according to his agency, Izawa Office.
    (Kyodo News via AP, File)

    The news of his death came as new cases have spiked in Tokyo, with the city’s governor warning of an explosive spread of the virus in the region. The news topped Japanese television news and talk shows on Monday, and some fans and media gathered outside the hospital where doctors had tried to save Shimura’s life.

    His death sent shock waves throughout Japan. Shimura was a former member of the comedy rock band the Drifters, a household name in the 1970s and 1980s, and gained fame while starring in the group’s prime-time comedy show, “It’s 8 o’clock, Gather Everyone!”

    CELEBS PRACTICE SOCIAL DISTANCING AMID CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK

    As People magazine noted, Shimura has been described as Japan’s Robin Williams.

    Born Yasunori Shimura, he recently was known for his popular character Baka Tonosama (Stupid Warlord) on TV comedy shows. He also led his comedy theater, Shimurakon (Shimura Spirit), since 2006.

    Japanese comedian Ken Shimura, seen here in 2012, gained fame in a prime-time comedy show.
    (Kyodo News via AP, File)

    Shimura’s death came as he was preparing for a new film. He also had been set to run in the Olympic torch relay in July to represent Higashimurayama, a town in Tokyo’s suburbs, his agency said. Japan and Olympic officials have agreed to postpone the games until next year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

    CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

    “I don’t think Shimura himself expected to have to go this way,” an Izawa Office staff member told reporters, adding that some of his comedy shows were slated to air on TV.

    “I hope you will remember him and laugh,” he said. “Until the end, he was committed to present laughter to the people.”

    The Associated Press contributed to this report

    Tokyo’s infection spike after Olympic delay sparks questions

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    Before the Olympics were postponed, Japan looked like it had coronavirus infections contained, even as they spread in neighboring countries. Now that the games have been pushed to next year, Tokyo’s cases are spiking, and the city’s governor is requesting that people stay home, even hinting at a possible lockdown.

    The sudden rise in the number of virus cases in Tokyo and the government’s strong actions immediately after the Olympic postponement have raised questions in parliament and among citizens about whether Japan understated the extent of the outbreak and delayed enforcement of social distancing measures while clinging to hopes that the games would start on July 24 as scheduled.

    CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

    With the Olympics now off, many are voicing suspicion that the numbers are rising because Japan suddenly has no reason to hide them.

    “In order to make an impression that the city was taking control of the coronavirus, Tokyo avoided making strict requests and made the number of patients look smaller,” former Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama said in a tweet. “The coronavirus has spread while they waited. (For Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike) it was Olympics first, not Tokyo’s residents.”

    Experts have found a rise of untraceable cases mushrooming in Tokyo, Osaka and other urban areas — signs of an explosive increase in infections.

    Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Saturday that Japan is now on the brink of a huge jump in cases as it becomes increasingly difficult to trace and keep clusters under control.

    “Once infections overshoot, our strategy … will instantly fall apart,” Abe warned. “Under the current situation, we are just barely holding up.” He said a state of emergency is not needed just yet, but that Japan could at any time face a situation as bad as in the United States or Europe.

    There was less of a sense of urgency displayed recently when many people visited parks for cherry blossom viewing, and Abe was only hinting at an Olympic postponement. But in a phone call with International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach last Tuesday, Abe agreed to postpone the games until around the summer of 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

    A day later, Koike asked Tokyo residents to stay home weekends until mid-April, saying confirmed cases of the coronavirus had shot up to 41 in a day from 16 earlier in the week. On Saturday, Tokyo reported 63 new cases, another single-day record. Koike said that infections in Tokyo were on the brink of an explosive increase, and that stronger measures, including a lockdown, could be needed if the spread of the virus doesn’t slow.

    ”Is this just a coincidence?” Maiko Tajima, an opposition lawmaker from the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, said during a parliamentary session last Wednesday, citing Tokyo’s sudden spike.

    Health Minister Katsunobu Kato said there is “absolutely no relationship” between the Olympic postponement and the number of confirmed cases. Abe cited experts as saying a big reason for the recent rise is the growing number of cases that can’t be linked and a jump in infections from abroad. The prime minister told people to “be prepared for a long battle.”

    A day after Koike’s warning, Abe convened a new task force under a recently enacted special law that would allow him to declare a state of emergency in specific areas, including Tokyo.

    Japan’s strategy has been to focus on clusters and trace infection routes rather than testing everyone. A guideline issued Saturday still says that tests will be conducted per clinical doctors’ advice. Experts set a high bar for testing eligibility, allowing them only for those linked to clusters or those with symptoms, because they fear massive testing will fill up beds that are needed for patients in severe need, and cause a collapse of medical systems.

    From Feb. 18 to March 27, Japan tested about 50,000 people, a daily average of 1,270 — fewer than the national daily capacity of several thousand. There was only a slight increase in the number of tests in the past week. In Tokyo, fewer than 2% of those who sought advice on a government hotline had been tested, according to health ministry figures. South Korea, by contrast, had tested about 250,000 people by mid-March.

    Abe denied allegations that Japan had manipulated the numbers by limiting tests, or combined COVID-19 deaths with other pneumonia fatalities. “I’m aware that some people suspect Japan is hiding the numbers, but I believe that’s not true,” he said. “If there is a cover-up, it will show up in the number of deaths.” He said doctors told him that pneumonia patients with COVID-19 can be detected by CAT-scan or X-rays.

    Many Japanese experts say testing is not for everyone and should be conducted selectively in an attempt to save hospital beds for those who really need them. “Tests are primarily for people who are suspected of having the virus, and should be based on clinical judgment by doctors,” said Shigeru Omi, a former World Health Organization public health expert who is on the government-commissioned panel.

    Aki-Hiro Sato, a professor of information sciences at Yokohama City University, said in a recent report that Japan is now likely facing a second or third wave of the virus coming from Europe and the United States. Tokyo has about 430 cases, but Sato estimated an additional 1,000 might have been infected in Tokyo by late March if infections are accelerating at a pace similar to what’s happening in other countries. Including asymptomatic or light infections, about 10,000 people might be infected, he said.

    As of Sunday, Japan had 2,578 confirmed cases, including 712 from a cruise ship, with 64 deaths, according to the health ministry. About 1,000 have recovered.

    Under the current law, COVID-19 is designated as an infectious disease and whoever tests positive is routinely hospitalized, but a new government guideline would allow a triage of patients, which would include self-quarantine at home.

    Right now, Japan has 2,600 hospital beds designated for infectious disease treatment, including 118 in Tokyo, but about one-third of them are already occupied by COVID-19 patients, according to Satoshi Kutsuna of the Disease Control and Prevention Center. Citing the recent spike, Kutsuna said that an “overshooting of infections is just about to begin, unfortunately.”

    Abe has said the government would secure 12,000 beds and 3,000 ventilators to prepare for a worst case scenario.

    “We fear a situation where severe patients start dying when the medical system collapses, and we must prevent that situation,” Kato, the health minister, said Sunday on a talk show on public broadcaster NHK.

    Tokyo’s infection spike after Olympic delay sparks questions

    Get all the latest news on coronavirus and more delivered daily to your inbox. Sign up here.

    Before the Olympics were postponed, Japan looked like it had coronavirus infections contained, even as they spread in neighboring countries. Now that the games have been pushed to next year, Tokyo’s cases are spiking, and the city’s governor is requesting that people stay home, even hinting at a possible lockdown.

    The sudden rise in the number of virus cases in Tokyo and the government’s strong actions immediately after the Olympic postponement have raised questions in parliament and among citizens about whether Japan understated the extent of the outbreak and delayed enforcement of social distancing measures while clinging to hopes that the games would start on July 24 as scheduled.

    CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

    With the Olympics now off, many are voicing suspicion that the numbers are rising because Japan suddenly has no reason to hide them.

    “In order to make an impression that the city was taking control of the coronavirus, Tokyo avoided making strict requests and made the number of patients look smaller,” former Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama said in a tweet. “The coronavirus has spread while they waited. (For Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike) it was Olympics first, not Tokyo’s residents.”

    Experts have found a rise of untraceable cases mushrooming in Tokyo, Osaka and other urban areas — signs of an explosive increase in infections.

    Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Saturday that Japan is now on the brink of a huge jump in cases as it becomes increasingly difficult to trace and keep clusters under control.

    “Once infections overshoot, our strategy … will instantly fall apart,” Abe warned. “Under the current situation, we are just barely holding up.” He said a state of emergency is not needed just yet, but that Japan could at any time face a situation as bad as in the United States or Europe.

    There was less of a sense of urgency displayed recently when many people visited parks for cherry blossom viewing, and Abe was only hinting at an Olympic postponement. But in a phone call with International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach last Tuesday, Abe agreed to postpone the games until around the summer of 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

    A day later, Koike asked Tokyo residents to stay home weekends until mid-April, saying confirmed cases of the coronavirus had shot up to 41 in a day from 16 earlier in the week. On Saturday, Tokyo reported 63 new cases, another single-day record. Koike said that infections in Tokyo were on the brink of an explosive increase, and that stronger measures, including a lockdown, could be needed if the spread of the virus doesn’t slow.

    ”Is this just a coincidence?” Maiko Tajima, an opposition lawmaker from the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, said during a parliamentary session last Wednesday, citing Tokyo’s sudden spike.

    Health Minister Katsunobu Kato said there is “absolutely no relationship” between the Olympic postponement and the number of confirmed cases. Abe cited experts as saying a big reason for the recent rise is the growing number of cases that can’t be linked and a jump in infections from abroad. The prime minister told people to “be prepared for a long battle.”

    A day after Koike’s warning, Abe convened a new task force under a recently enacted special law that would allow him to declare a state of emergency in specific areas, including Tokyo.

    Japan’s strategy has been to focus on clusters and trace infection routes rather than testing everyone. A guideline issued Saturday still says that tests will be conducted per clinical doctors’ advice. Experts set a high bar for testing eligibility, allowing them only for those linked to clusters or those with symptoms, because they fear massive testing will fill up beds that are needed for patients in severe need, and cause a collapse of medical systems.

    From Feb. 18 to March 27, Japan tested about 50,000 people, a daily average of 1,270 — fewer than the national daily capacity of several thousand. There was only a slight increase in the number of tests in the past week. In Tokyo, fewer than 2% of those who sought advice on a government hotline had been tested, according to health ministry figures. South Korea, by contrast, had tested about 250,000 people by mid-March.

    Abe denied allegations that Japan had manipulated the numbers by limiting tests, or combined COVID-19 deaths with other pneumonia fatalities. “I’m aware that some people suspect Japan is hiding the numbers, but I believe that’s not true,” he said. “If there is a cover-up, it will show up in the number of deaths.” He said doctors told him that pneumonia patients with COVID-19 can be detected by CAT-scan or X-rays.

    Many Japanese experts say testing is not for everyone and should be conducted selectively in an attempt to save hospital beds for those who really need them. “Tests are primarily for people who are suspected of having the virus, and should be based on clinical judgment by doctors,” said Shigeru Omi, a former World Health Organization public health expert who is on the government-commissioned panel.

    Aki-Hiro Sato, a professor of information sciences at Yokohama City University, said in a recent report that Japan is now likely facing a second or third wave of the virus coming from Europe and the United States. Tokyo has about 430 cases, but Sato estimated an additional 1,000 might have been infected in Tokyo by late March if infections are accelerating at a pace similar to what’s happening in other countries. Including asymptomatic or light infections, about 10,000 people might be infected, he said.

    As of Sunday, Japan had 2,578 confirmed cases, including 712 from a cruise ship, with 64 deaths, according to the health ministry. About 1,000 have recovered.

    Under the current law, COVID-19 is designated as an infectious disease and whoever tests positive is routinely hospitalized, but a new government guideline would allow a triage of patients, which would include self-quarantine at home.

    Right now, Japan has 2,600 hospital beds designated for infectious disease treatment, including 118 in Tokyo, but about one-third of them are already occupied by COVID-19 patients, according to Satoshi Kutsuna of the Disease Control and Prevention Center. Citing the recent spike, Kutsuna said that an “overshooting of infections is just about to begin, unfortunately.”

    Abe has said the government would secure 12,000 beds and 3,000 ventilators to prepare for a worst case scenario.

    “We fear a situation where severe patients start dying when the medical system collapses, and we must prevent that situation,” Kato, the health minister, said Sunday on a talk show on public broadcaster NHK.

    US gold medalist Missy Franklin: Tokyo Olympics hopefuls will ‘follow their dreams’ next year

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    Five-time Olympic gold medal swimmer Missy Franklin said Saturday that the Olympic community is united in understanding and concern for the public after the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics were postponed until 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

    Franklin, who swam for the U.S. team until her retirement, said athletes who have been preparing for Tokyo are handling the change very well.

    2020 TOKYO OLYMPICS POSTPONED

    “It seems that everyone understands that this decision was made for the health of the athletes and of everyone around the world,” she said.

    “With that being said, it’s still heart-wrenching. I think the mental aspect [is so] more than anything: These athletes have been preparing some of them for four years, but especially this year knowing that the games were coming.”

    President Trump said last week that he is in agreement with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on the schedule change, and told reporters that Abe will do a fine job hosting the games next year instead.

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    Franklin told “Cavuto Live” that many of the athletes scheduled to compete this summer have been training as long as four years

    “So it’s definitely going to be a bit of a transition, but I would encourage them if those are their dreams… that hasn’t changed. That opportunity is still there. It’s just one year later,” she added.

    US Olympic and Paralympic Committee signals support for delaying Tokyo Olympics over coronavirus

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    The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee on Monday night signaled it supported delaying the 2020 Olympic Games next summer in Tokyo amid the spread of the coronavirus, saying in a statement: “the path toward postponement is the most promising.”

    “We are thankful to the 1,780 Team USA athletes for sharing their voice and honest input with us as we address the issues related to COVID-19 and the Tokyo Games, and make good on our promise to put athletes first. We are now confident that we have heard a wide range of viewpoints and understand the diversity of challenges our athletes face. We regret that there is no outcome that can solve all the concerns we face. Our most important conclusion from this broad athlete response is that even if the current significant health concerns could be alleviated by late summer, the enormous disruptions to the training environment, doping controls and qualification process can’t be overcome in a satisfactory manner,” the statement read.

    “To that end, it’s more clear than ever that the path toward postponement is the most promising, and we encourage the [International Olympic Committee] to take all needed steps to ensure the Games can be conducted under safe and fair conditions for all competitors. We look forward to their feedback and direction, and stand ready to work in support of Team USA and in full cooperation with the global community.”

    CORONAVIRUS: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

    Of those Team USA athletes, 92 percent said the coronavirus epidemic affected the quality of their training; 63 percent said the outbreak left them at severe detriment or unable to train.

    Among the issues: the availability of venues in Japan, the disruption to the international sports calendar during whatever new date is chosen, the resetting of qualifying procedures and insurance considerations.

    The IOC told Fox News in response that its position “has not changed.” The committee announced this past Sunday it was ramping up “scenario-planning” to prepare potentially for delaying the games.

    A track group called The Athletics Association had been pressing the IOC to act.

    The track group has been led by two-time Olympic champion Christian Taylor of the U.S., who said over 4,000 track and field athletes responded to a survey, and 87 percent said the coronavirus hurt their training.

    Officials had been weighing options and planning different scenarios for the July 24-Aug. 9 games in Tokyo, the International Olympic Committee announced Sunday.

    CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

    In a letter, IOC President Thomas Bach wrote: “Human lives take precedence over everything, including the staging of the Games. The IOC wants to be part of the solution. Therefore we have made it our leading principle to safeguard the health of everyone involved, and to contribute to containing the virus. I wish, and we all are working for this, that the hope so many athletes, NOCs and IFs from all five continents have expressed will be fulfilled: that at the end of this dark tunnel we are all going through together, not knowing how long it is, the Olympic flame will be a light at the end of this tunnel.”

    Fox News’ Vicki Choi and Kathleen Reuschle contributed to this report.

    IOC considers whether to postpone Tokyo Olympics over coronavirus

    Amid mounting calls from athletes and officials for a postponement, the Olympic Games may be put on hold because of the coronavirus pandemic.

    Four weeks will be taken to weigh options and to plan different scenarios for the July 24-Aug. 9 games in Tokyo, the International Olympic Committee announced Sunday.

    “These scenarios relate to modifying existing operational plans for the Games to go ahead on 24 July 2020, and also for changes to the start date of the Games,” the IOC said.

    Though canceling the Tokyo Olympics is not an option, a delay until later this year or in 2021 is possible, according to officials.

    CORONAVIRUS: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

    IOC President Thomas Bach led a telephone conference call with executive board members. Bach regularly has said organizers were fully committed to holding the games from July 24-Aug. 9 — despite athlete training, qualifying events and games preparations being disrupted more and more by the virus outbreak spreading globally.

    Criticism of the stance grew in recent days — from athletes and by a first IOC member last Tuesday — and Bach finally acknowledged an alternative plan was possible.

    In a letter, Bach wrote: “Human lives take precedence over everything, including the staging of the Games. The IOC wants to be part of the solution. Therefore we have made it our leading principle to safeguard the health of everyone involved, and to contribute to containing the virus. I wish, and we all are working for this, that the hope so many athletes, NOCs and IFs from all five continents have expressed will be fulfilled: that at the end of this dark tunnel we are all going through together, not knowing how long it is, the Olympic flame will be a light at the end of this tunnel.”

    A worldwide group representing Olympic hopefuls called on the postponement until the pandemic is under control.

    “As the world unites to limit the spread of Covid-19 virus, the IOC… must do the same,” Global Athlete stressed in a news release Sunday.

    CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

    “Athletes want to be part of a solution to ensure the Games are a success,” the Global Athlete statement added. “But under the current global restrictions that are limiting public gatherings as well as closing training facilities and borders, athletes do not have the ability to appropriately prepare for these Games, and their health and safety must come first.”

    The Associated Press contributed to this report.

    IOC considers whether to postpone Tokyo Olympics over coronavirus

    Amid mounting calls from athletes and officials for a postponement, the Olympic Games may be put on hold because of the coronavirus pandemic.

    Four weeks will be taken to weigh options and to plan different scenarios for the July 24-Aug. 9 games in Tokyo, the International Olympic Committee announced Sunday.

    “These scenarios relate to modifying existing operational plans for the Games to go ahead on 24 July 2020, and also for changes to the start date of the Games,” the IOC said.

    Though canceling the Tokyo Olympics is not an option, a delay until later this year or in 2021 is possible, according to officials.

    CORONAVIRUS: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

    IOC President Thomas Bach led a telephone conference call with executive board members. Bach regularly has said organizers were fully committed to holding the games from July 24-Aug. 9 — despite athlete training, qualifying events and games preparations being disrupted more and more by the virus outbreak spreading globally.

    Criticism of the stance grew in recent days — from athletes and by a first IOC member last Tuesday — and Bach finally acknowledged an alternative plan was possible.

    In a letter, Bach wrote: “Human lives take precedence over everything, including the staging of the Games. The IOC wants to be part of the solution. Therefore we have made it our leading principle to safeguard the health of everyone involved, and to contribute to containing the virus. I wish, and we all are working for this, that the hope so many athletes, NOCs and IFs from all five continents have expressed will be fulfilled: that at the end of this dark tunnel we are all going through together, not knowing how long it is, the Olympic flame will be a light at the end of this tunnel.”

    A worldwide group representing Olympic hopefuls called on the postponement until the pandemic is under control.

    “As the world unites to limit the spread of Covid-19 virus, the IOC… must do the same,” Global Athlete stressed in a news release Sunday.

    CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

    “Athletes want to be part of a solution to ensure the Games are a success,” the Global Athlete statement added. “But under the current global restrictions that are limiting public gatherings as well as closing training facilities and borders, athletes do not have the ability to appropriately prepare for these Games, and their health and safety must come first.”

    The Associated Press contributed to this report.

    Olympic flame lands in Japan as doubts grow over Tokyo Games

    The Olympic flame on Friday completed its difficult journey from Greece to Japan.

    That signified a small, symbolic victory for the IOC and local organizers, who maintain the Tokyo Olympics will open on July 24 amid a chorus of doubters who believe they should be postponed or canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.

    CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

    “For the first time in 56 years, the Olympic torch is heading to Tokyo and I hope that the Olympic torch will illuminate the path of hope for many people,” organizing committee President Yoshiro Mori said at a scaled-down arrival ceremony at an air base in northern Japan.

    Mori of course was referring to Tokyo’s famous 1964 Olympics. Tokyo was also to have been the venue for the 1940 Olympics, which were canceled by World War II.

    “We will work closely with the International Olympic Committee, the Japanese government, and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government,” he said, and based on the World Health Organization’s advice, “we will ensure a safe and secure games.”

    The flame, carried in a tiny canister from Greece, reached Japan aboard a white aircraft painted with the inscription “Tokyo 2020 Olympic Torch Relay” along its side. The tail section was adorned with the refrain “Hope Lights our Way.

    The aircraft was welcomed on the tarmac by a small contingent of organizing committee officials. Two of Japan’s most famous Olympians — three-time wresting gold medalist Saori Yoshida and three-time judo gold medalist Tadahiro Nomura — received the flame for the lighting ceremony.

    The two climbed portable stairs and entered the aircraft before emerging holding the cradle-like canister with a flame burning inside. They handed it over at the base of the stairs to Mori, who delivered a brief acceptance speech in a gusting wind.

    Yoshida and Nomura then took the torch and ignited a large cauldron on the tarmac of the air base.

    A plane carrying the Olympic flame arrives before Olympic Flame Arrival Ceremony at Japan Air Self-Defense Force Matsushima Base in Higashimatsushima in Miyagi Prefecture, north of Tokyo, Friday, March 20, 2020. The Olympic flame from Greece is set to arrive in Japan even as the opening of the the Tokyo Games in four months is in doubt with more voices suggesting the games should to be postponed or canceled because of the worldwide virus pandemic. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

    Mori referred to the “difficult situation” with the virus, and then thanked the IOC and Greek officials that the “hand-over ceremony was able to be held” with the Olympics set to open in just over four months.

    The flame arrived in the northeastern part of Japan, roughly 250 kilometers (150 miles) from Tokyo, that was devastated by the 2011 earthquake, tsunami and meltdown of three nuclear reactors that has left many still living in temporary quarters.

    The flame will stay in northern Japan for almost a week until the torch relay begins officially on March 26 from Fukushima prefecture. It will be put on public display in the three prefectures most affected by the disaster — Miyagi, Iwate and Fukushima,

    Even if the Olympics and Paralympics don’t start as scheduled, the burning flame could be used as a symbol and a rallying point for the Japanese public.

    In a conference call on Wednesday, IOC President Thomas Bach got support for holding course, but is also getting push back from athletes who can’t train, are confused about the qualification process, and worry about their health. Critics are also complaining about the unfairness of qualifying, which might give some athletes advantages over others.

    Worldwide the death toll surpassed 10,000 and infections topped 240,000, including 86,000 people who have recovered. Japan has reported about 900 confirmed cases.

    The Japanese news agency Kyodo released a survey on Monday showing 69.9% of those questioned did not believe the Olympics will open as scheduled because of the virus.

    The four-month torch relay could be fraught with problems, particularly for sponsors which have invested millions for the publicity.

    The torch relay in Greece, following the symbolic lighting on March 12, was stopped during the second day and did not resume because of large crowds. Japanese organizers have asked crowds to be “restrained” and could stop or delay the relay if they are not.

    Trump to host June G-7 summit by teleconference, White House says

    In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, President Trump will now hold the annual G-7 Summit in June via teleconference, rather than inviting the other six other G-7 nations to Camp David as originally planned.

    Trump had originally planned to host the leaders of the seven major industrial nations — Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan along with the United States — at his private golf resort in Miami, before moving it to Camp David after public criticism. Now the leaders will convene electronically to allow “each country to focus all of its resources on responding to the health and economic challenges of COVID-19,” economic advisor Larry Kudlow informed his colleagues, according to White House spokesman Judd Deere.

    Trump already spoke with G-7 leaders Monday in a meeting organized by French President Emmanuel Macron. Deere said Trump, who holds leadership of the group this year, would hold virtual meetings monthly as the world battles COVID-19 and its economic fallout.

    The announcement came as the world has faced 229,390 cases of the novel coronavirus and 9,325 deaths and many countries across the globe institute travel bans and social distancing guidelines. The U.S. currently has 10,755 confirmed cases and 154 deaths. Trump irritated certain G-7 nations when he instituted a European travel ban without consulting European leaders.

    The Associated Press contributed to this report.