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2020 Olympics (Page 4)

Tokyo Olympic committee comes up with clever way to let blind children help select Games’ mascots

Casey Baseel
Feb 16, 2018
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Organizers find a way to let vision-impaired kids express their opinion of which of the adorable characters best represents Japan.

Japan
(2020 Olympics • kids • Mascots • moving • Olympics • paralympics • society • Tokyo 2020 Olympics • Tokyo Olympics • touching)

Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics mascot finalists unveiled【Pics & Video】

Oona McGee
Dec 7, 2017

These six mascots take their inspiration from sakura cherry blossoms, shrines, and Japanese fairy tales.

Japan
(2020 Olympic Games • 2020 Olympics • 2020 Paralympics • 2020 Tokyo Olympics • Mascots • Olympic Mascots • Olympics • paralympics)

World’s first artificial shooting stars gearing up for debut over Hiroshima

Master Blaster
Nov 18, 2017

When you wish upon a star, make a reservation from where you are. ♪

Japan
(2020 Olympics • Hiroshima • meteor shower • satellites • Setouchi • shooting star • technology • video)

Japanese car rentals including stickers that read: “A foreigner is driving”

Master Blaster
Sep 4, 2017

What do you do when you’re branded, and you know you’re a pretty decent driver?

Japan
(2020 Olympics • Driving in Japan • foreign drivers • sticker • traffic safety)

Tokyo Olympics committee head: Manga parade would be good for opening ceremonies, but not kabuki

Casey Baseel
Jul 26, 2017

Chairman singles out two aspects of Japanese traditional culture that people of other nations “wouldn’t understand.”

Japan
(2020 Olympics • anime • culture • kabuki • manga • Olympics • Sumo • Tokyo Olympics • Yoshiro Mori)

The Tokyo Olympics might be taking its Akira anime connection too far【Video】

Casey Baseel
Jul 25, 2017

One of the bleakest depictions of Tokyo in all of film is part of Olympics celebration projection mapping project.

Japan
(2020 Olympics • AKIRA • anime • Katsuhiro Otomo • Olympics • projection mapping • Tokyo • Tokyo Olympics • video • weird)

2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo will Blow. You. Away.

Viewster
Jun 28, 2017

Japan hasn’t hosted the Summer Olympics since 1964; three years from now marks their big chance to impress everyone on the world stage.

Japan
(2020 Olympics • Olympics • Tokyo • Viewster)

Japanese convenience stores starting new anti-smoking measures in preparation for 2020 Olympics

Casey Baseel
Feb 3, 2017

The ashtrays in front of Japanese convenience stores aren’t there for people to smoke around.

Japan
(2020 Olympics • convenience stores • health • smoking • Tokyo Olympics)

Pikachu and Super Mario left out of lineup of official spokescharacters for Tokyo Olympics

Casey Baseel
Jan 6, 2017

After some seriously high-profile involvement, Nintendo characters aren’t part of newest promotional push for 2020 event.

Japan
(2020 Olympics • anime • nintendo • Olympics • Pikachu • Pokemon • sports • Super Mario • Tokyo Olympics • video games)

Japan’s government reconsiders plan to change country’s iconic hot spring symbol after backlash

Casey Baseel
Dec 8, 2016

Two prefectures, both famous for their onsen, are particularly opposed to the switch.

Japan
(2020 Olympics • culture • hot springs • maps • onsen • onsen mark • travel)

Japanese politician pushing to double price of cigarettes in Japan by start of 2020 Olympics

Casey Baseel
Oct 27, 2016

Proposed tax hike aims to reduce the number of people lighting up before the Olympic flame comes to Tokyo.

Japan
(2020 Olympics • government • health • laws • smoking • society • Tokyo Olympics)

Japanese government mulling indoor smoking ban to be introduced as early as next year

Casey Baseel
Oct 14, 2016

The pallor of smoke that covers so many restaurants and bars in Japan may become a thing of the past.

Japan
(2020 Olympics • ban • government • health • laws • smoking • society)

Following the “onsen” symbol re-design, “hospital” mark might get a little makeover

KK Miller
Oct 8, 2016

The new pictogram gives off very few feelings of “hospital” though.

Japan
(2020 Olympics • funny • hospitals • pictograph • symbol • Tokyo Olympics)

McDonald’s Japan gets into the spirit of the games with new Tokyo 2020 Olympics tumblers

Oona McGee
Aug 16, 2016

The three new designs give us a sneak peek at what McDonald’s has in store for the Tokyo Olympic Games.

Japan
(2020 Olympics • collectables • drinks • fast food • McDonald's • McDonald's Japan • Olympics • Tokyo 2020 • Tokyo Olympics • tumblers)

Official 2020 Tokyo Olympic logos possess a little secret you might not have noticed

KK Miller
Apr 28, 2016

Could the clever designs also hold an undisclosed message?

Japan
(2020 Olympics • cool • official design • Olympics • paralympics • Tokyo Olympics)

New Tokyo Olympic stadium architect responds to accusations of plagiarism

Jessica
Jan 18, 2016

It seems controversy over the new National Stadium for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics isn’t over yet.

Global, Japan
(2020 Olympics • architecture • design • National Stadium • plagiarism • sports • Tokyo)

Looks like it’s time to say good-bye, and maybe good riddance, to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics logo

Casey Baseel
Sep 1, 2015

There hasn’t been a lot of love for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics’ logo, which was officially unveiled by the event’s Organising Committee at the tail-end of July. Almost immediately after getting their first eyeful of it, many in Japan called it unappealing and confusing, and just a few days later some were calling it plagiarized.

In other words, not too many people were looking forward to seeing the emblem plastered all over the city during the Games, as well as the years leading up to them. The good news for the logo’s detractors is that they probably won’t have to, as the organizers of the Tokyo Olympics seem ready to officially withdraw the design for their promotion.

Japan
(2020 Olympics • design • logo • Olympics • plagiarism • scandal • Tokyo Olympics)

Is there an adorably chubby bird hiding inside the Tokyo Olympics logo?

Casey Baseel
Aug 1, 2015

It’s been a rocky debut for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics official logo. First, it elicited mixed reactions as to whether its somewhat obtuse aesthetics really conveyed the noble sentiments it was aiming for. Then came the allegations that the logo was plagiarized from the emblem of a Belgian theater.

But let’s set aside the issue of whether or not the design is a copy or not and ask another artistic question: Is the Tokyo Olympics logo actually an adorably stylized bird?

Japan
(2020 Olympics • cute • design • funny • logo • Olyumpis • Tokyo Olympics)

Could the 2020 Tokyo Olympics logo possibly be plagiarized?

Jamie Koide
Jul 30, 2015

Last Friday the logo was revealed for Tokyo’s 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. It was received with mixed reviews, with many of the opinion that the aesthetic thought that went into the logo wasn’t quite as deep as the message behind it.

As if there wasn’t already enough debate about the execution of the logo design itself, now there are rumors that the design could possibly be a plagiarization of the work of French designer Oliver Debie.

Japan
(2020 Olympics • controversy • design • logos • Tokyo Olympics)

Just what the heck is the Tokyo Olympics symbol supposed to be?

Casey Baseel
Jul 27, 2015

Back before Tokyo was selected as the host of the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics, the organizing committee started putting up posters around the capital touting its status as a candidate city. The logo was a circle of cherry blossoms using four of the five colors of the Olympic rings (with purple substituting for black).

You could say it was a clichéd choice, but on the other hand, it’d be hard to come up with a symbol more instantly associated with Japan than the sakura. Mt. Fuji, maybe, but it isn’t in Tokyo, and a piece of sushi would look more like a promotion for a restaurant than a sporting competition.

But perhaps because the cherry blossoms bloom in spring and Tokyo is hosting the Summer Games, the sakura ring isn’t going to be used for the actual 2020 Olympics and Paralympics themselves. Instead, Japan’s Olympic Committee recently came up with two new logos. In the eyes of some people in Japan, however, even though the designs embody a deep message, they’re lacking in aesthetic sense.