It's The Last #MiraitowaMonday Before The Games!

Tokyo 2020's Mascot Explained

Official Olympic mascots have been integrated with the Games since Grenoble 1968. Tokyo 2020's version was unveiled in February 2018, along with the new Paralympic mascot. They both received their official names - Miraitowa and Someity - later that year.

Miraitowa with the Paralympics' Someity

Want some background on Miraitowa?

• The Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee launched a public competition in 2017 for a mascot design, which drew 2,042 submissions.
• Three finalist pairs were then presented to schoolchildren across Japan, and the Miraitowa and Someity designs were announced the winners on February 28, 2018, with their names defined later in July.
• Artist Ryo Taniguchi designed Miraitowa with inspiration from the Ai (indigo blue) Ichimatsu marks in Tokyo 2020's logo.
• The name, Miraitowa, comes from mirai (future) and towa (eternity).
• Taniguchi presented Miraitowa as "inspired by the Japanese proverb, 'learn from the past and develop new ideas".
• Miraitowa's personality is described as "cheerful and remarkably athletic", and it has the special power of teleportation.

You can follow Miraitowa's exploits on Instagram, and see more on YouTube.

p.s. Would you have preferred one of the other finalist pairs?