The organizing committee for the 2020 Games and other related parties are breathing a sigh of relief after the International Olympic Committee's announcement that the name of the event will not change, despite its postponement by about one year.
This means that the official emblems incorporating "Tokyo 2020" are not expected to undergo any changes. The emblems have already been used for medals and on many licensed products.
"The decision that the name will remain unchanged is great," an official on the organizing committee said following the announcement.
"TOKYO 2020" is part of the emblems for the Games, which can be seen below the ichimatsu moyo checkered patterns designed by Asao Tokoro to represent the Olympics and Paralympics. The emblems have already been used for medals, mascot characters and torches, to name just a few.
The emblems would have to be redesigned if the Games was redubbed "2021" after the unprecedented decision to push the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics back to next year.
The contract signed among the IOC, the Tokyo metropolitan government, the organizing committee and the Japanese Olympic Committee includes a provision stating that the emblems and other intellectual assets will be handed over to the IOC by the end of December this year.
This might make it difficult for these items to be used next year as they have been so far, if the contract is implemented in keeping with its stipulations.
However, the decision to keep the name unchanged has made it more likely that there will be a review of when the intellectual assets concerned, including the name, will be handed over to the IOC.
The production of about 5,000 medals for the Games, in which materials from used mobile phones were incorporated, is scheduled to be completed in May. Licensed products featuring the emblems have seen increasing sales.
The decision on the name also means that the posters and banners for the Games that have already been put up nationwide do not have to be removed.
Keeping "Tokyo 2020" is likely to minimize the negative impact on fans, local governments and businesses from the postponement, and also reduce the burden on the organizing committee, which will have to tackle a huge amount of work related to the rescheduling.
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