Empty seats contained potent symbolism as the sensitive and stylish ceremony focused on hard graft, failing better and trumping the odds

Rather than turning its face away from the struggles of the past year to put on an all-smiling, all-dancing show, Tokyo’s delayed opening ceremony led with the theme of loss and mourning in a meditative three-hour production like no other.

It began small and picked its moments of when to bloom into the big, sparkling extravaganza of cultural celebration that an opening ceremony is known to be, but judiciously shrank back to sobriety and controlled showmanship.