On September 13, Nagoya University President Naoshi Sugiyama served as torchbearer for the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026, running through the Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens (located near Nagoya University’s Higashiyama Campus). It drizzled on the morning of the event, but the rain let up just before the torch relay was scheduled to begin, and the weather stayed clear throughout. President Sugiyama was the seventh runner, receiving the torch from Nagoya University alumnus Etsutaro Kamino.
The Asian Games, held once every four years, is the largest sporting event in Asia. The games will be held primarily in Aichi Prefecture, with forty-five Asian countries and regions set to participate.
