Tokyo Olympic Games declared open in poignant ceremony
Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka lights Olympic flame
'Today is a moment of hope,' says IOC president Thomas Bach
Japan’s Emperor Naruhito among almost 1,000 VIPs and delegates attending
Ceremony at Tokyo Olympic Stadium without spectators
Only 22 of GB's 375-strong squad join much-reduced athletes' parade
Protests against the Games outside stadium
What's the mood?
Cautious.
For all of the excitement around the sport we're about to see, we have to acknowledge that some simply do not believe these Games should be going ahead at all.
It's fair to say that the next couple of weeks will be lived on a knife-edge.
Dame Katherine Grainger
Olympic rowing gold medalist on BBC TV
We are obviously going to be talking about the pandemic and the implications.
But the world has felt very divided and separated and had to be restricted.
I think this is a huge opportunity - we've seen every four years the Olympics and Paralympics light up the world and connect the world in a way we don't normally see.
And you feel this year more than ever, it's going to be important to get that right - we could really come out of this thinking that human resilience and spirit is still strong.
Sir Chris Hoy
Six-time Olympic cycling champion on BBC TV
From a personal perspective, it meant everything to me for 20 years – I trained to win an Olympic gold medal, the only thing I’ve got tattooed on my body is the Olympic rings.
But on a wider context it just has the power to inspire and it’s a way to celebrate humanity, seeing what we can achieve as human beings.
BBC One
Morning.
They call this 'day zero' in the trade. To you and I, that means the opening ceremony, officially the start of 16 days of competition in Tokyo (ignore the fact that some sports started on Wednesday).
Expect the usual - a celebration of the Games and host nation, as well as the parade of athletes - but also be prepared for the new normal. There will be only a handful of onlookers and very few competitors will march into the stadium.
The ceremony itself begins at 12:00 BST, but our TV coverage is already live. You can watch on BBC One and right here at the top of this page.
And now?
Tokyo 2020 presents itself as a symbol of hope, unity and strength of the human spirit, the biggest global event since the planet was gripped by a deadly pandemic.
A year late, without spectators and shrouded in uncertainty, but still faster, stronger and higher.
Welcome to the Olympic Games.
Image source, Getty ImagesMoments that made a megastar.
Image source, Getty ImagesMoments that defied belief.
Image source, Getty ImagesMoments of heartbreak.
Image source, Getty ImagesMoments that united a nation.
Image source, Getty ImagesMoments of controversy.
Image source, Getty ImagesMoments of perfection.
Image source, Getty ImagesMoments of terror.
Image source, Getty ImagesMoments of protest.
Image source, Getty ImagesMoments of disbelief.
Image source, Getty ImagesMoments of defiance.
Image source, Getty ImagesWhat began as 10 days of sporting competition - where winners received silver medals - has grown into a cultural phenomenon, a two-week period that attracts the eyes of the entire globe.
Not just an exhibition of athletic excellence, but a symbol of human achievement, creating moments that have amazed, inspired and astounded.
In the summer of 1894, French aristocrat Pierre de Coubertin created the International Olympic Committee and, two years later, the first 'modern' Games took place in Athens.
Fourteen nations sent 241 competitors - all men - to compete in 43 events across nine sports.