The Tokyo Olympics torch relay kicked off Thursday, a year late and without spectators, heralding a major step towards the start of the coronavirus-delayed Games on July 23. "This little flame never lost hope and it waited for this day like a cherry blossom bud just about to bloom," Tokyo 2020 chief Seiko Hashimoto told officials and media in Fukushima, where the relay began. bur-sah/kaf/th