The Tokyo Tower and other landmarks were lit in special Olympic colours in April to mark 100 days before the Summer Games opened, but were shrouded in clouds of mist when rain enveloped the Japanese capital that night.
Light and shadows are the hallmarks of these Games, the second time Tokyo is the host.
The COVID-19 pandemic isn't over yet. There are still strong calls to cancel or postpone the Olympics. A quasi-state of emergency remains in place just a month before the Games begin.
They will be held in a "safe bubble" of vaccinated athletes and delegations, a celebration of sport divorced from the host city and its people.
Story
Tokyo is like a kaleidoscope with countless geometric patterns, the colours of the pattern changing slightly depending how the tube is tilted and how the light enters.
Tokyo is never boring. It has survived earthquakes and war. It will survive the coronavirus.
(Photo editing Marika Kochiashvili; Text editing Sakura Murakami, Elaine Lies and Raju Gopalakrishnan; Layout Julia Dalrymple)