Tokyo 2020 Games Emblem Decided: "Kumimono" Pattern!

The Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games announced the emblem for the 2020 Tokyo Games on April 25.

The Organizing Committee had publicly revealed the four final emblem candidates on April 8th and solicited opinions widely via the internet and other channels. The final review was conducted at the Emblem Committee meeting on the 25th, selecting the "Kumii-ichimatsu-mon" design from the candidates as the winning entry. It was subsequently approved at the Board of Directors meeting held afterward and officially decided as the Games emblem.

On the same day, an emblem unveiling ceremony was held at Toranomon Hills in Minato Ward, Tokyo. Attendees included guests such as IOC Vice President John Coates, IPC Board Member Miguel Sagara, Minister in Charge of the Games Toshiaki Endo, and Tokyo Governor Yoichi Masuzoe, along with representatives from the Japanese Olympic Committee, the Japanese Paralympic Committee, and partner companies.

Prior to the announcement, Mori Yoshiro, President of the Organizing Committee, reported that the selected design had been unanimously approved by the Executive Board. He stated, "I would like to express my gratitude to all the members of the Emblem Committee for their hard work. I believe this emblem will be loved and cherished by many people."

Emblem Committee Chairman Ryohei Miyata (Commissioner of the Agency for Cultural Affairs) reported that after the final candidates were made public, approximately 40,000 submissions were received, with total comments reaching about 110,000.

Representing the Emblem Committee, Mr. Sadaharu Oh (Chairman of the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks) took the stage alongside Chairman Miyata to announce the winning design. The selected emblem, "Kumimono" (Checkered Pattern), is the work of Tokyo-based artist Asao Tokolo. Tokolo expressed his joy, stating, "I learned of the decision just moments ago, and my mind went completely blank. This piece, which I spent a long time creating, is like my own child. I hope it will spread widely throughout the world from now on."

Chairman Miyata revealed that the final judging involved a vote by the 21 committee members. Proposal A (Kumimatsumon) received 13 votes, Proposal B received 1 vote, Proposal C received 2 votes, and Proposal D received 5 votes. Proposal A, having secured a majority, was selected.

At the press conference following the announcement, Organizing Committee Secretary General Toshiro Muto stated, "We thank everyone who participated in the design submissions and opinion requests. We want to energize the world with this emblem, decided through a method unprecedented in the history of the IOC and IPC." Wang commented, "The committee's work is different from my life in baseball, but I can proudly say the emblem was decided fairly and transparently."