#publisher alternate (BUTTON) Close Skip to main content [ ] * switch to the International edition * switch to the UK edition * switch to the US edition * switch to the Australia edition current edition: International edition The Guardian - Back to home Support The Guardian Subscribe Find a job Jobs Sign in * Comment activity * Edit profile * Email preferences * Change password * Sign out (BUTTON) My account Search [ ] * News * Opinion * Sport * Culture * Lifestyle Show More * (BUTTON) News + World news + UK news + Science + Cities + Global development + Football + Tech + Business + Environment + Obituaries * (BUTTON) Opinion + The Guardian view + Columnists + Cartoons + Opinion videos + Letters * (BUTTON) Sport + Football + Rugby union + Cricket + Tennis + Cycling + F1 + Golf + US sports * (BUTTON) Culture + Books + Music + TV & radio + Art & design + Film + Games + Classical + Stage * (BUTTON) Lifestyle + Fashion + Food + Recipes + Love & sex + Health & fitness + Home & garden + Women + Family + Travel + Money ____________________ What term do you want to search? (BUTTON) Search with google * Become a supporter * Subscribe * Sign in/up * (BUTTON) My account + Comment activity + Edit profile + Email preferences + Change password + Sign out * (BUTTON) International edition + switch to the UK edition + switch to the US edition + switch to the Australia edition * Jobs * Dating * Holidays * The Guardian app * Video * Podcasts * Pictures * Newsletters * Today's paper * The Observer * Digital archive * Crosswords * Facebook * Twitter * Jobs * Dating * Holidays * Football * Rugby union * Cricket * Tennis * Cycling * F1 * Golf * US sports (BUTTON) More Tokyo Olympic Games 2020 Tokyo 2020 unveils new Olympic logo after plagiarism allegations Blue and white logo with corresponding design for the Paralympics picked after initial emblem scrapped last September Esther Addley Addley Mon 25 Apr 2016 08.50 BST Last modified on Tue 28 Nov 2017 22.31 GMT * Share on Facebook * Share on Twitter * Share via Email * (BUTTON) View more sharing options * Share on LinkedIn * Share on Pinterest * Share on Google+ * Share on WhatsApp * Share on Messenger * (BUTTON) Close This article is 1 year old Tokyo 2020 logo [ ] The winning designer of the Tokyo 2020 logo, Asao Tokoro, said he treated the design like it was his own child. Photograph: Thomas Peter/Reuters The organisers of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics have unveiled a new official logo, seven months after being forced to scrap the previous design amid accusations of plagiarism. Selecting an emblem they hope will be simple, effective and most of all original, they have chosen a simple circular logo made up of three shapes of rectangles in indigo blue. The winning design, entitled Harmonized Checkered Emblem, is intended to represent different countries, cultures and ways of thinking, according to its Japanese designer, Asao Tokoro. The device is slightly reworked into an upward-facing crescent for the Paralympics motif. The original logo for the Games was scrapped last September after its designer, Kenjiro Sano, was accused of basing his emblem on the logo of the Théâtre de Liège in Belgium. Tokyo 2020 Olympics logo scrapped after allegations of plagiarism Read more Japanese officials initially rejected accusations that Sano had plagiarised the image, which was based around a stylised capital T with a red circle representing Japan’s rising sun, from Olivier Debie’s strikingly similar motif for the theatre. Sano has also denied plagiarism. But they backed down when the Belgian designer began legal proceedings to block Tokyo 2020 from using the image. Further allegations of plagiarism also emerged against Sano, including claims that his initial submission resembled a work by the late German typographer Jan Tschichold. It was not the first embarrassing climbdown for the organising committee, which had earlier abandoned architect Zaha Hadid’s design for its centrepiece Olympic stadium amid spiralling costs and a growing public controversy over the plan. The Tokyo 2020 committee has since opted for a more modest design by local architect Kengo Kuma, which it promises to deliver for significantly less. Kuma was later forced to deny claims by Hadid’s office that he had borrowed elements of his scheme from her proposed building. Construction has fallen well behind schedule, forcing the organisers of the 2019 Rugby World Cup to move key matches to a stadium in the neighbouring city of Yokohama. Speaking at the unveiling ceremony, Tokoro said his mind had “gone blank” when he found out his design had been selected. “I put a lot of time and effort into this design as though it was my own child,” he added. John Coates, vice-president of the International Olympic Committee, said: “The new Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 emblem symbolises important elements of the Tokyo 2020 Games vision and the underlying concepts of achieving personal best, unity in diversity and connecting to tomorrow.” Coates attended the launch along with Japanese baseball great Sadaharu Oh and Tokyo’s governor Yoichi Masuzoe. “I congratulate the Tokyo 2020 team for the inclusive process that led to this selection.” Topics * Tokyo Olympic Games 2020 * Japan * Asia Pacific * Olympic Games * news * Share on Facebook * Share on Twitter * Share via Email * Share on LinkedIn * Share on Pinterest * Share on Google+ * Share on WhatsApp * Share on Messenger * Reuse this content more on this story * Tokyo breaks ground on £1.2bn national stadium for 2020 Olympics The Japanese prime minister, Shinzo Abe, attends ceremony at site of demolished national stadium that hosted 1964 Games Published: 11 Dec 2016 Tokyo breaks ground on £1.2bn national stadium for 2020 Olympics * Tokyo pledges to keep 2020 Olympic rowing event in the capital City governor’s commitment comes after she vowed to cut spiralling costs of hosting next summer Games Published: 29 Nov 2016 Tokyo pledges to keep 2020 Olympic rowing event in the capital * Tokyo will cut building costs of 2020 Olympics rather than move venues – reports In effort to tackle ballooning expenses, city is expected to build cheaper venues rather than move events to existing facilities further away Published: 24 Nov 2016 Tokyo will cut building costs of 2020 Olympics rather than move venues – reports * Tokyo Olympics: soaring costs set up showdown with IOC Panel of experts has warned cost of 2020 Games could rise to four times the original estimate and proposed a change in venues Published: 4 Oct 2016 Tokyo Olympics: soaring costs set up showdown with IOC * + From Rio 2016 to Tokyo 2020: Olympic drama moves on Published: 22 Aug 2016 From Rio 2016 to Tokyo 2020: Olympic drama moves on + Tokyo Olympic stadium architect denies plagiarising Zaha Hadid – video 0:50 Published: 15 Jan 2016 Tokyo Olympic stadium architect denies plagiarising Zaha Hadid – video + IOC concerned at suspect payments made by Tokyo 2020 bid team Published: 26 May 2016 IOC concerned at suspect payments made by Tokyo 2020 bid team + Questions over Tokyo 2020 Olympic bid are spreading far and wide Published: 21 May 2016 Questions over Tokyo 2020 Olympic bid are spreading far and wide (BUTTON) More more on this story most viewed * Football * Rugby union * Cricket * Tennis * Cycling * F1 * Golf * US sports back to top IFRAME: /email/form/footer/today-uk * become a supporter * make a contribution * securedrop * ask for help * advertise with us * work for us * contact us * complaints & corrections * terms & conditions * privacy policy * cookie policy * digital newspaper archive * all topics * all contributors * Facebook * Twitter © 2018 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. 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