Track and field events in Japan started up again this month after being canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. The return to action means Japanese sprinter Cambridge Aska can finally pick up the pace with his preparations for the Tokyo Olympics.

The Games, which were postponed, are set to open exactly one year from Thursday.

Japan's top government spokesperson says Tokyo will steadily proceed with its preparations for the upcoming Olympics and Paralympics.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga made the remark on Wednesday, following a statement from the International Olympic Committee.

Japan plans to continue preparing for Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to the country, even though one of China's key political events has been postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak.

China's decision to put off the annual National People's Congress has raised doubts about Xi's planned visit to Japan.

The organizers of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympic Games are under pressure to come up with clear guidelines on how to deal with the new coronavirus infection.

The Olympic flame will start making its way across Japan in late March. The organizers say it's not possible to push that date back.

An official of the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games organizing committee has pledged to continue preparations for the event for the sake of athletes, despite the new coronavirus outbreak.

Hisashi Nakaminami, the head of the Paralympic Games Integration Office, spoke to reporters in Tokyo on Friday -- nearly six months before the Games start on August 25.