'Sakura-mon' for the Tokyo 2020 Torch

John Hill

21. March 2019

Image courtesy of Tokyo 2020

The organizing committee of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics has unveiled the design of the torch that will be used during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic torch relay. Tokujin Yoshioka's design resembles a traditional "Sakura-mon" cherry blossom.

The resemblance is hardly a coincidence. Cherry blossom flowers are beloved by Japanese people, and the start of Tokyo 2020 Olympic torch relay will happen in March, coinciding with the start of cherry blossom season. (The Olympic Games will take place during July and August next year, while the Paralympic Games will follow in late August and early September.)

The Olympic torch is a single sheet of aluminum that incorporates recycled content from prefabricating housing built after the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011. The torch features five separate flames that emerge from the "flower petals" and converge into a large flame described as the "Path of Hope."

Image courtesy of Tokyo 2020

The Tokyo 2020 Olympic torch relay will take place over 121 days, being carried across the entire length and breadth of Japan. Aiding torchbearers will be its extremely lightweight construction: including the combustion component, the torch weighs only 1.2 kg (2-1/2 lbs).