Potential Opt Out of Tokyo 2020 Torch Relay 02/17/21 (ATR) The Olympic Torch Relay may not be welcome in one of Japan’s prefectures. The Torch Relay may bypass Shimane Prefecture. (Tokyo 2020) Shimane Governor Tatsuya Maruyama told reporters on Wednesday the prefecture may cancel local events tied to the Torch Relay “based on whether or not the response of the central government and the Tokyo government to the coronavirus improves,” according to the Japan Times. Maruyama also indicated he was opposed to holding the Olympics and Paralympics though he stopped short of calling for them to be cancelled. The Torch Relay is scheduled to begin at the J-Village National Training Center in Fukushima on March 25. Tokyo 2020 organizers confirmed in December that 859 municipalities from all 47 prefectures were part of the route, though COVID-19 countermeasures will mean scaled back celebrations.