(June 23) The Olympic opening ceremony kicked off Friday evening in Tokyo, officially marking the start to the delayed summer games that have been plagued by scandals. The event showcasing Japanese culture is being held in a mostly empty national stadium after the decision to ban spectators due to the coronavirus pandemic. About 950 people were in the stands, including U.S. First Lady Jill Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron and the Japanese emperor. The start of the games follows several setbacks, including multiple high-profile resignations. A rapidly rising Covid case count in Tokyo has further soured public sentiment. and more recently, a rapidly rising Covid-case count in Tokyo. That has further soured public sentiment. The ceremony began with moving geometric shapes drawn in chalk against a blackboard. Dancers used a complex web of red ropes to express the emotional conflict, anxiety and sorrow of those training during the pandemic. Mask-wearing former athletes, including 2000 Olympic marathon gold medalist Naoko Takahashi, carried the Japanese flag into the stadium. --- Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/2TwO8Gm Bloomberg Quicktake brings you live global news and original shows spanning business, technology, politics and culture. Make sense of the stories changing your business and your world. To watch complete coverage on Bloomberg Quicktake 24/7, visit http://www.bloomberg.com/qt/live, or watch on Apple TV, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, Fire TV and Android TV on the Bloomberg app. Connect with us on… YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/Bloomberg Breaking News on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/BloombergQuickTakeNews Twitter: https://twitter.com/quicktake Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/quicktake Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/quicktake