Soaked up in the excitement of hosting the 2020 Olympics, Tokyo on Saturday marked 1,000 days until the mega event.
The ceremony included demonstrations of new sports that will debut at the Summer Games.
“The Olympic Games has the power to bring dreams to children and cultivate a peaceful society,” Tsunekazu Takeda, president of the Japanese Olympic Committee, said as quoted by AFP.
“The success of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 is necessary so that sport can contribute to foster a better society and world peace,” Takeda added.
In the event, attended by 15,000 people, four tableaus numbered 1,0, 0 and 0 were carried through the streets to the main stage where a countdown display was unveiled.