Japan unveils the mascots for 2020 Tokyo Olympics
What's the story
The mascots for 2020 Tokyo Olympics have been unveiled. The yet-to-be named mascots for the Olympic and Paralympic games, were selected by schoolchildren across mascot-mad Japan. The winning mascots, picked from a shortlist of three designs, are a pair of 'animated nondescript creatures.' They were created by Japanese illustrator Ryo Taniguchi. Here's more on the Olympic mascots.
Information
2020 Summer Olympics
2020 Olympics is set to take place from July 24 to August 9 in Tokyo, Japan. Tokyo will host the Olympics for a second time after it did so in 1964. It will also become the first Asian city to have hosted the games twice.
Description
The design of winning mascot pair
The winning mascot pair is clad in "ichimatsu" checkered pattern of the official logo of the Games. The Olympic mascot is blue and white while the Paralympics mascot is pink and white. According to the organizers, the futuristic mascots combine tradition with modern innovation. The mascots will, embody the Olympic spirit, appear in the opening and closing ceremonies, and welcome visitors to the Games.
Craze
Japan and the craze of mascots
While mascots help in promotion and popularizing events, Japan takes the craze to another level. Towns, companies, and even prisons here use distinctive mascots to represent themselves. Mascots, locally known as "yuru-kyara" rake in a lot of moolah. For instance, 'Kumamon' mascot created to promote Kumamoto region of the country, brought in $8.8 million last year from sale of products bearing its image.
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In the recent past
2016 Rio Olympics mascot 'Vinicius', named after music great Vinicius de Moraes, was a yellow feline animal representing Brazil's fauna and wildlife. 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Games' mascot Soohorang, a white tiger, proved a massive hit with thousands of its stuffed dolls sold in past year.