Japan unveils the superhero mascots for Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics

NewsBharati    28-Feb-2018
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Tokyo, February 28: Its official! The Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics mascot has been unveiled and the school children have their say. A pair of futuristic digital characters will be the mascots for the upcoming Olymics and Paralympics for 2020. Organizers disclosed the winning designs at a school in Tokyo on Wednesday.

A total of 205,755 classes at 16,769 elementary schools took part in selecting three short-listed designs, with their classes casting a single vote. The winning pair, clad in the “ichimatsu” checkered pattern of the Games’ official logo, received 109,041 votes.

Ryohei Miyata, head of the mascot selection panel said, “The Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games finally have their mascots and this means a lot, especially in Japan. I cannot wait to see these two characters coming to life in the stadiums, on the streets and on TV.”

 

Organizers say the mascots combine tradition with innovation. One has an athletic figure and a strong sense of justice. The other is a cherry blossom-inspired superhero. With a futuristic blue and white chequered pattern, the Olympic mascot is described as having a special power allowing it to move anywhere instantaneously.

 

The Paralympic mascot features a pink and white design inspired by cherry blossom flowers, and it can apparently move things just by looking at them. “It has a dignified inner strength and a kind heart that loves nature,” according to the description. Mascots are big business in Japan, with many towns and companies trying to come up with distinctive design to promote their region or product.

Their names will be decided by copywriters and other professionals and announced in July or August. The selection process involving schoolchildren was introduced to get students enthusiastic about the games while also ensuring transparency. The original official logo was hit with plagiarism allegations and scrapped. The designer of the winning mascots is Ryo Taniguchi, who graduated as an art major from Cabrillo College in California, and is currently active as a character designer/illustrator. His work has been featured by companies and at exhibitions in Japan.

The Tokyo Olympics are scheduled for July 24 to Aug. 9, 2020.