Japan Chooses Superhero Mascots for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games

The schoolchildren have had their say: A pair of futuristic digital characters will be the mascots for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics.

Organizers unveiled the winning designs at a school in Tokyo on Wednesday.

A total of 205,755 classes at 16,769 elementary schools took part in selecting three short-listed designs, with their classes casting a single vote.

The winning pair, clad in the “ichimatsu” checkered pattern of the Games’ official logo, received 109,041 votes.

“The Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games finally have their mascots,” said Ryohei Miyata, head of the mascot selection panel. “This means a lot, especially in Japan. I cannot wait to see these two characters coming to life in the stadiums, on the streets and on TV.”