The Tokyo Olympic flame has been taken off public display in Japan.

It is not clear when it will reappear again or where.

The flame arrived in Japan from Greece on March 26.

OLY Tokyo Flame
People take selfies with the Olympic Flame (Jae C Hong/AP)

After the Tokyo Olympics and the torch relay were postponed until next year, the flame was put on display in the northeastern prefecture of Fukushima.

It was removed after prime minister Shinzo Abe issued a state-of-emergency order to combat the coronavirus.

Tokyo organisers are expected to keep the flame for the short-term.

The flame is expected to be used by the International Olympic Committee in 2021 as a symbol of the fight against the pandemic.