Tokyo Olympics 2020: Everything you need to know about the event

Official Mascots of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics

Miraitowa (L) and Someity (R) are the official mascots of the 2020 Tokyo Summer and Paralympic Games

The official mascots of the Tokyo Summer and Paralympic Games are Miraitowa and Someity, created by Japanese artist Ryo Taniguchi who beat competition from all over the country to have his final designs selected from a field of 2,042 submissions. The competition was held from late 2017 to early 2018 and the selection process involved testing their appeal to school-going children and if it represented the spirit of the Tokyo Olympics.

Miraitowa, the Summer Olympic Games mascot is designed as a combination of Ai (Indigo Blue) Ichimatsu pattern of the Tokyo 2020 Emblem, which is a tribute to the modern innovation and respected tradition of the famed Japanese culture.

The name 'Miraitowa' is derived as a combination of the Japanese word 'Mirai' which means 'Future' and 'Towa' meaning 'Eternity'. The character is described as being very athletic and a strong sense of justice.