Hiroshima Ignites Asian Games Torch Relay with Flame of Peace

In the city where Japan’s sporting dreams and its deepest scars intersect, the flame for the Asian Games torch relay was born.

On Thursday in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, a flame-lighting ceremony set the tone for the upcoming quadrennial event, which will be staged mainly in Aichi Prefecture from Sept. 19 to Oct. 4.

From the Flame of Peace to a Golden Lantern

Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui stepped forward first, drawing fire from the Flame of Peace, the memorial dedicated to the victims of the Aug. 6, 1945 U.S. atomic bombing. From that enduring symbol, he lit a torch, the flicker of history passing into the present.

Hajime Moriyasu, head coach of the Japanese men's national soccer team, then held out a lighting rod. The torch touched metal, the rod caught, and the new flame was transferred into a golden lantern that will accompany the torch relay.

The setting mattered. So did the man holding the rod.

Moriyasu’s Hiroshima Roots

Moriyasu’s connection to Hiroshima runs deep. He began his career here, both as a corporate and professional footballer, long before he took charge of the national team. On this day, he stood not on a touchline, but in a place defined by memory and resolve.

“I think that sports have the power of binding different values and cultures together,” he said, linking the competitive fire of athletes to a broader purpose. He called on those set to compete at the Asian Games “to compete with all their strength while wishing for peace.”

It was a simple message, delivered in a city where the word “peace” carries a weight few stadiums can match.

Asian Games Countdown Begins

With the flame now secured in its golden casing, Japan’s preparations for the Asian Games moved from symbolism to countdown. The relay will carry that Hiroshima-born fire toward a tournament that will draw athletes from across the continent to central Japan.

From a park built on the ruins of war to the arenas of Aichi, the journey has started—with a single flame and a clear demand: play hard, and never forget what that light represents.