Miraitowa, Someity are Tokyo mascots

Tokyo, July 22

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The mascots for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics were named during a ceremony in the Japanese capital on Sunday. 

The Olympics mascot, a blue-checked pointy-eared figure, was named as Miraitowa — combining the Japanese words 'mirai', meaning future, and 'towa', which means eternity. The Paralympics counterpart, who is pink-checked and wears a cape, was named Someity after a variety of cherry blossom called Someiyoshino. The games organisers also said the name sounded similar to “so mighty” in English. 

The mascots were revealed in February but remained unnamed until Sunday. They were designed by illustrator Ryo Taniguchi, who won a nationwide competition that was determined by Japanese children, with his entries clinching more than half the total votes. Tokyo 2020 president and former Japanese prime minister Yoshiro Mori was present at the unveiling and delivered a message of inclusion. In a country that has a fondness for mascots, Tokyo 2020 organisers sought to create lovable characters for the Games with both selections said to have superpowers and ability to teleport between the digital world and reality.

After the ceremony, the mascots reappeared on a boat that cruised down the Sumida river, waving to children on the riverbank as they passed some of Tokyo's most iconic landmarks. “You are part of the Olympics as well,” Mori told the assembled children. — Reuters