On Wednesday, Tokyo became first of six applicants to host the 2020 Olympic Games to release a logo representing the city’s bid campaign.
The logo portrays an arrangement of cherry blossoms, the most celebrated flower of Japan. The floral motif “espresses the feelings of deep gratitude inherent in Japan’s sending of cherry blossom trees to all parts of the world”, according to a statement by the bid.
The logo has been designed to symbolize friendship and peace and it will represent the bid on documents, signage and marketing materials throughout the campaign.
Tokyo’s logo for the 2016 Olympic bid campaign portrayed a musubi knot with the 5 Olympic colours designed to signify blessings during times of celebration.
The logo was chosen as part of a design compeition open to young art and design students. The winner, Ai Shimamine, is a fourth year student at the Joshibi University of Art and Design.
Tokyo 2020 President Tsunekazu Takeda explained “I am personally delighted with the new logo. It symbolises the concepts of friendship, peace, eternity, happiness and unity, concepts that we hold most dear. The designer has even been able to create the logo in the form of a flower that, in itself, is an internationally recognised symbol of Japan.
“I look forward to seeing the logo proudly displayed across Tokyo and the whole of Japan as we at Tokyo 2020 strive to bring the Olympic and Paralympic Games to Tokyo in 2020.”
Along with the logo, the bid has released a Japanese-language website at tokyo2020.jp.
The Tokyo bid committee is preparing a response to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) applicant questionnaire and this will take the form of a mini bid-book due at IOC headquarters in Lausanne by February 15, 2012. Tokyo is competing with Baku in Azerbaijan, Doha in Qatar, Istanbul, Madrid and Rome and a winner will be elected in 2013.
