Hiroshima hosts flame-lighting event for 2026 Asian Games torch relay

The ceremony held in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park was attended by Mayor Kazumi Matsui and head coach of the Japanese men's national soccer team, Hajime Moriyasu.

Matsui lit a torch from the Flame of Peace, dedicated to victims of the 1945 atomic bombing, and passed it to Moriyasu, who ignited a lighting rod. The flame was then placed in a golden lantern.

Moriyasu, who began his career as a corporate and professional soccer player in Hiroshima, said at the event: "I think that sports have the power of binding different values and cultures together. I want athletes (who are set to participate in the Asian Games) to compete with all their strength while wishing for peace."

The quadrennial sporting event will be held mainly in Aichi Prefecture, central Japan, from September 19 to October 4.

The first of three flame-lighting ceremonies for the 20th Asian Games in Aichi–Nagoya took place on August 18 under the slogan A Uniting Flame for All. The torch was lit in front of the cauldron from the 1958 Asian Games in Tokyo.

Flames lit at these two sites will be combined at the Torch Lighting Ceremony at Nagoya Castle on August 22. From there, the flame will embark on a torch relay through 40 municipalities in Aichi Prefecture.

The relay will conclude on September 18, one day before the opening ceremony, when the Asian Games cauldron will be lit to mark the official start of the Games.

Earlier, it was reported that Kazakhstan set a medal target for the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games.