Tokyo
Olympic organisers unveiled a shortlist of three official 2020 Games
mascots yesterday — from bug-eyed cartoon heroes to cuddly raccoons. The
Olympic and Paralympic designs, which celebrate the themes of harmony,
diversity and resilience, were unveiled by pupils at a Tokyo elementary
school.
After a bungled rollout of the official Olympic logo that led
to it being scrapped following accusations of plagiarism, local
organisers have left the selection of the Tokyo 2020 mascots in the
hands of schoolchildren.
From December 11 to February 22, pupils at
every elementary school across Japan — and Japanese schools overseas —
will choose their favourite design, with each class casting a single
vote. The winner will be announced on February 28. The competing mascots
are instantly recognisable as “Made in Japan”, ranging in appearance
from sci-fi cool to a glum-looking fox closer in spirit to the country’s
beloved “yuru-kyara” (soft characters). Design A’s futuristic
blue-checked design with pointy ears and oversized eyes evokes Japanese
manga, while Olympic organisers revealed it has a “strong sense of
justice” and can apparently move faster than light.
Its Paralympic
cousin, meanwhile, sports red checks derived from cherry blossoms and
possesses the ability, helpfully, to “talk with stones and the wind.”
Design B pairs a cartoon hybrid of a “lucky” cat and a fox draped in a
red flame-like cloak with a blue lion-dog of the type seen guarding
Japanese shrines — the common thread between them big round eyes
resembling disco lights.
Olympic Mascot B also “loves to take naps
underneath the sunlight,” said Japanese organisers, adding that it
“gives happy energy to people by touching them with its tail.” The
softer appeal of Option C, meanwhile, brings together a fox looking less
than overjoyed at being decorated in prehistoric “magatama” beads and a
red raccoon looking a little bemused by all of the commotion.
Tokyo
organisers will hope to make smooth progress on the mascots to build on
recent momentum following a series of public relations disasters. Last
month, Tokyo opened its first new permanent venue for the 2020 Olympics —
a welcome boost after plans for the main stadium were torn up by Prime
Minister Shinzo Abe two years ago over its $2bn price tag. Designs for
the official Games emblem were then scrapped amid a plagiarism row.
There was more bad news in October when Olympic organisers admitted that
prolonged summer rain had brought high levels of bacteria to a venue
earmarked for triathlon and open water swimming.
While Tokyo has
taken successful measures to reduce costs, the International Olympic
Committee has urged local organisers to try to further cut its current
$12bn Games budget.
Japanese schoolchildren pose with a shortlist of three pairs of official Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games mascots during a photo session at Kakezuka elementary school in Tokyo yesterday. (AFP)