©IOC

The route of the Olympic Relay for the Sapporo Games began, as tradition dictates, in Olympia and then went to Athens and Okinawa via a long-haul flight on Japan Airlines. However, it should be noted that Okinawa was under American administration when the Torch Relay crossed its territory. The rest of the Relay was staged only on Japanese territory, and the prior detour via Okinawa thus allowed the island to reiterate its desire to re-join Japan, something which happened in May 1972.