The organizing committees of the next three Olympic Games -- Pyeongchang, Tokyo and Beijing -- have been in talks about exchanging runners for their torch relays as a symbolic gesture of peace, Tokyo Games organizers said Tuesday.

Yukihiko Nunomura, Tokyo COO, said the hosts of the 2018, 2020 and 2022 Olympics were asked by the International Olympic Committee about the three countries cooperating on some level.

Nunomura said the IOC initially suggested sharing overlay or temporary facilities, but with that proposal posing too big of a physical challenge, the East Asian neighbors hatched the more practical idea of swapping torch relay runners.

"The organizing committees of Pyeongchang, Tokyo and Beijing have discussed the possibility of collaborating in some capacity," Nunomura said.

"For example with the torch relay, the three organizers are talking about exchanging runners. It's possible. But with Pyeongchang right around the corner next year (Feb. 9-25), we have to determine whether we can pull it off."

"We have been discussing it bit by bit, but with Pyeongchang busy, the three organizing committees have not had the time to sit down and thoroughly talk things through."

A panel for Tokyo's torch relay met for the fourth time on Tuesday, with an eye to draw up the concept by August for the IOC. The concept for the Paralympics must be submitted to the International Paralympic Committee by February.

Nunomura said the 18 panelists continued to discuss a number of issues such as the route and duration of the relay, which will pass through all 47 of Japan's prefectures.

While a decision has yet to be taken on where the relay will start, it is beginning to take shape based on the three previous Olympic Games Japan has hosted.

Okinawa -- which kicked off the torch relay for Tokyo's last Olympics in 1964 -- and a disaster area of the March 11, 2011, earthquake and tsunami were raised as examples of where the run could start.

Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, one of the regions hit hardest by the quake and tsunami, has already put up its hand wanting to launch the relay.

"We explained where it started in the past. Given the climate of the country, one option is to start the relay from somewhere in the south," Nunomura said. "Another is to begin the relay in one of the disaster areas and there was some discussion on that."

"The Japanese isles run long, stretch out from north to south. In some parts of the country, it can still be pretty chilly in the spring or in the early summer."

"In the past, Okinawa served as a starting point for Tokyo, Nagano and Sapporo with the relay moving up north along with the cherry blossom front."

The panel will meet again June 20.