Jul 23 (Jiji) - The Blue Impulse aerobatic team from Japan's Air Self-Defense Force drew the five Olympic rings with colored smoke in the sky above an area near the new Japan National Stadium on early Friday afternoon, ahead of the official opening of the Tokyo Olympics later in the day.
The Olympic symbol was drawn in the same five colors as those of the rings--blue, yellow, black, green and red.
After departing from the ASDF Iruma Air Base in Saitama Prefecture, north of Tokyo, at 12:20 p.m. (3:20 a.m. GMT), six Blue Impulse planes traveled around the Tokyo metropolitan government buildings around 12:40 p.m. and then flew near 333-meter Tokyo Tower and the 634-meter Tokyo Skytree broadcasting tower.