Both the Izu Islands and Ogasawara Islands have been included on a draft plan approved by a Tokyo Metropolitan Government panel, according to The Mainichi.

Despite lying offshore the island groups are still governed as part of Tokyo prefecture.

Taking the Torch Relay there will present logistical challenges with the tropical Ogasawara Islands lying nearly 1,000 kilometres to the south of Tokyo.

Getting there currently takes 24 hours by ferry.

The Izu Islands are closer to the mainland but still nearly 300 kilometres from Tokyo.

According to The Mainichi, the remote islands of the Ogasawara archipelago could see the "spider method" used for the Relay.

This would see a Torch extinguished on one island and then lit on another to move the Relay between the two points instantaneously. 

Rules prevent several Torches being lit at once.

The Relay is set to travel around Tokyo from July 10 in 2020, before the Opening Ceremony of the Olympics on July 24.

Every other prefecture in Japan will also be visited.

Neither the Izu Islands or the Ogasawara Islands were visited during the Torch Relay for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.