Miraitowa, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic mascot, was unveiled to the world February 28, 2018.
The name Miraitowa is based on the Japanese words “mirai”, meaning “future”, and “towa”, meaning “eternity”, representing the wish that the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games will lead to a future of everlasting hope in the hearts of everyone around the world.
The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games mascot is styled with the Ai (indigo blue) Ichimatsu pattern from the Tokyo 2020 Games emblem, a tribute to both the respected tradition and modern innovation of Japanese culture. Miraitowa has a personality inspired by the Japanese proverb, “learn from the past and develop new ideas”. Miraitowa is cheerful and remarkably athletic, with a very strong sense of integrity. It has a special power to instantly teleport anywhere it wants.
— via Olympics.com
The mascot was chosen by children from more than 16,000 Japanese elementary schools, domestic and abroad. It was designed by Fukuoka-based illustrator Taniguchi Ryo.
Miraitowa is embossed with chequered patterns, which is also used in the Tokyo 2020 official logo. Chequered designs are centuries old in Japan, popularised during the Edo Period when the governing capital shifted from the West to the East of the country.
The mascot-type robot is part of the Tokyo 2020 Robot project and will greet guests and athletes in Games venues. It can wave, shake hands, and can react when a person is near. It also has a variety of facial expressions.
Miraitowa is the 26th Olympic mascot, with the first one dating back to the Grenoble 1968 Winter Olympic Games.
You can read more about the history of mascots at the Games here.
Here’s a story from the Olympics archive about the mascot evolution for the Olympic Games:
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