[7] The relay started with Flame festivals planned in 43 of prefectures of Japan, as well as additional locations hosting the Paralympics.

[8] From 21 to 25 August, the one flame will follow a single route, culminating at the New National Stadium for the opening ceremonies.

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and several prefectures declared state of emergency amid COVID-19 surge and in Shizuoka Prefecture's case, the 2021 Atami landslide,[10][11] many of the public stages of the relay were truncated to be more ceremonial rather than functional such as alternative events.

At the 2020 Summer Paralympics opening ceremony, the relay ended with the lighting of the cauldron.

Yui Kamiji, Karin Morisaki, and Shunsuke Uchida lit the cauldron.