In high contrast color, the Olympic rings are shown floating in a large body of water with shipping container cranes in the distance.

PHOTOS: Olympic guests get view of Tokyo — from the bus

With spectators banned from venues of the 2020 Olympics, for many of the visitors to Tokyo, the only way to get a glimpse of this unique capital city hosting the games is from a vehicle, whisking the sporting guests from athlete village or hotel to venue.

Associated Press

As the bus rumbles along a Tokyo thruway, passengers steal a fleeting glance at the Olympic rings floating on a barge in the bay.

Colorful shop signs that dot the Kabukicho entertainment district pass by in a blur. The Tokyo Tower glows, if only briefly.

A major roadway and elevated train track along with the Tokyo skyline are shown blurred slightly via a bus window.
The skyline of Tokyo is seen through a bus window from the Rainbow Bridge ahead of the 2020 Summer Olympics.Jae C. Hong/AP

The pandemic-delayed 2020 Summer Olympics are days away from starting and thousands of athletes, officials and media are descending on a Tokyo under a state of emergency because of surging COVID-19 cases.

A man is shown wearing a red shirt, face mask and clear goggles while riding a bus.
Hua Zhang, of the China Media Group, wears protective goggles while riding a media bus ahead the 2020 Summer Olympics.Jae C. Hong/AP

For many of the visitors under strict protective protocols, the only way to get a glimpse of this unique capital city is from a vehicle, whisking the sporting guests from athlete village or hotel to venue.

A row of tall buildings are shown, many with national flags hanging from the balconies.
A man rides his bike near the athlete’s village for the 2020 Summer Olympics and Paralympics in Tokyo.Jae C. Hong/AP

AP photographer Jae C. Hong spent hours riding Olympic buses, trying to get a feel for Tokyo as the Games in a bubble ramp up.

A police officer is shown wearing a white mask and walking under several misters spraying water.
A cooling system sprays a mist over a police officer outside the main press center of the 2020 Summer Olympics.Jae C. Hong/AP

For the Japanese, life goes on with little indication a massive sporting event is about to begin. Streets of masked workers; a couple steal a private moment at a subway station, mask to mask; fishermen stand in their boats in a moat; an elderly woman seeking relief from the heat walks with a small towel on her head; a police officer walks under cooling mist sprays while on patrol.

A woman is shown with a towel over her head and covering her face with a roadway in the distance.
A woman walks with a small towel over her head to shield from the sun ahead the 2020 Summer Olympics.Jae C. Hong/AP

The view from the bus forces a separation from subject, the bustle of the city is silenced by the closed windows.

A police office is shown through the window of a bus standing guard in front of a metal barrier.
A police officer, right, patrols near the entrance to the athlete’s village for the 2020 Summer Olympics and Paralympics.Jae C. Hong/AP

Yet, over time, if one really looks, a connection is formed with this sprawling metropolis that is a mix of modern and tradition.

The face of a bus driver is shown covered in a white mask with a two lane road ahead.
A bus driver is reflected in the mirror in Tokyo.Jae C. Hong/AP
The Tokyo Tower is shown in the distance illuminated with red and orange lighting.
The Tokyo Tower is seen through a bus window ahead of the delayed 2020 Summer Olympics on July 15, 2021.Jae C. Hong/AP

By Jae C. Hong/AP

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