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THE torch design for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games was unveiled on Wednesday, exactly a year before the flame is due to arrive in Japan from Greece.
The theme of the pink gold torch centres on “sakura’’ or cherry blossom in Japan, which arrives every spring to much fanfare.
It was designed with input from children from the areas most severely damaged by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.
Designer Tokujin Yoshioka said he was inspired to create the torch following a visit to an elementary school in Fukushima.
The torch features five sakura petals cut into its head to mirror the five Olympic rings.
“I was very impressed with the powerful expression in the cherry blossoms drawn by kids in this area,” Yoshioka said at the unveiling ceremony in Tokyo. “They are trying to overcome challenges and trying to move forward.
“I wanted to share that with the world.”
The Tokyo Games’ theme is reconstruction from the 2011 disaster and the torch relay will begin in Miyagi prefecture — another area deeply affected — on March 20 next year.
The full route is yet to be disclosed.
The 1.2 kilogramme torch is made from aluminium, 30 percent of which has been salvaged from the temporary housing built in the aftermath of the 2011 earthquake.
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– Mar. 20, 2019 @ 16:47 GMT |
Tags: Cherry blossom-themed torch unveiled for Tokyo 2020 Games
