Local residents gathered along the roads surrounding the National Tokyo Olympic stadium on Friday, July 23.
Anticipating the Blue Impulse’s performance, the crowd endured the noon time summer heat while hiding in the shadows of buildings and trees.
At 12:40 pm, Japan time, a series of timid reactions from the Japanese crowd erupted as some of them first spotted the incoming jets.
The performance lasted around 15 minutes with few glimpses of the performance, thanks to the surrounding buildings.
The metropolitan police force can be spotted everywhere, controlling the crowd and reminding the people to make way for passers-by.
During the performance, a few lucky residents only had to go out to their rooftops or balconies to see the spectacle.
The police, though, seem lenient enough to allow people to stay along the bike lanes as they create a human barricade.
A small group of Mexicans were spotted at the corner of the geiennishi-dori avenue, cheering for their country. The police officers guarding the area seemed unperturbed by the enthusiastic group.
As soon as the performance ended, the crowd started to disperse. Several Olympic staff manned the stadium entrance, where strict COVID-19 precautions are implemented.
Further inside, a card access scanner and an X-ray machine can be spotted for extra security measures.
Catching people’s attention was a random Kim-Jong-un impersonator along the sidewalk, who held a fake nuclear bomb detonator.
Passers-by would stop and snap a photo while laughing a little, though he didn’t say anything. – Kantaro Suzuki and Jessa Dino/Rappler.com
How does this make you feel?