Tokyo Olympic opening ceremony: toil and mourning bloom into
![](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/22d402d9146e5002f877376504d8f618fe341b8f/0_323_4839_2903/master/4839.jpg?width=700&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=80f4ba844fd02870cdda23497c3e18aa)
Empty seats contained potent symbolism as the sensitive and stylish ceremony focused on hard graft, failing better and trumping the odds
![](https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/BIRJBOCJQFBA5KIZINUY4RHJZU.jpg)
Looking at Tokyo Olympics through the lens of the 1964 Games
![](https://gh.cdn.sewest.net/assets/ident/news/c726eaad/FFXVI_MediaKit_02_png_jpgcopy-bajge4hov.jpg?quality=65)
SQUARE ENIX The Official SQUARE ENIX Website - Tagged
![](https://www.si.com/.image/t_share/MTgyNjM2MzA3MTAzNjIyNTYz/tokyo-opening-ceremony-si-lead.jpg)
Tokyo Olympics Opening Ceremony: Pandemic, protests loom large
![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/luJGosl3CxQ/maxresdefault.jpg)
Tokyo2020 Opening Ceremony Highlights
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/01/2020_Summer_Olympics_opening_ceremony_%2819%29.jpg/200px-2020_Summer_Olympics_opening_ceremony_%2819%29.jpg)
2020 Summer Olympics opening ceremony - Wikipedia
![](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/263ea1207d72b4ca400d00c3def9cad8773c8237/0_159_3500_2101/master/3500.jpg?width=1200&height=900&quality=85&auto=format&fit=crop&s=91b5274c5ba810a6a4a32ecf5b819ee5)
Block-rocking beaks: Snowball the cockatoo – reviewed by our dance critic, Dance
![](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/21226a4/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3000x2001+0+0/resize/2000x1334!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F31%2Fdf%2F2c6d302f49eb8f8f3e66cbcbd9f3%2Fla-photos-1staff-812414-sp-0723-olympics-opening-1-rcg.jpg)
Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony clings to traditions - Los Angeles
![](https://img.washingtonpost.com/wp-apps/imrs.php?src=https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/N2OL2NHLYUI6XIV2HPRR2NESLA.jpg&w=1800)
Images of Tokyo Olympics: 1964 celebrations and 2021 struggles
![](https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2018/02/16/gettyimages-916190102-1-_sq-7fa1cf4cd04c1fbbd381a246253b7e7b663d75b3-s800-c85.jpg)
Tokyo Olympics Opening Ceremony Balances Joy and Anxiety : Live
![](https://www.reviewjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_6797828-ae44b1601cc843a897ea8f78229ab840_6796522.jpg?w=640)
Jubilant ceremony officially opens 2016 Rio Olympics —PHOTOS
![](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/ec815d761fe4a694c15f9cae4fbb9308b5889246/0_328_4942_2965/500.jpg?quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=1a237e6d1408c320616edf89369308d4)
Eleven outstanding moments from the Olympic opening ceremony, Tokyo Olympic Games 2020