2020 Olympic Games
Medal Designer, Junichi Kawanishi

In a competition open to professional designers and design students, more than 400 entries were submitted to the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee and the winning design was submitted by Junichi Kawanishi.

The design of the medals reflects the concept that in order to achieve glory, athletes have to strive for victory on a daily basis, so the medals resemble rough stones that have been repeatedly polished and now shine brightly, reflecting the athletes journey from beginner to Olympic champion.

The medals collect and reflect myriad patterns of light, symbolising the energy of the athletes and those who support them and their design is intended to symbolise diversity and represent a world where people who compete in sports, and work hard, are honoured.

The brilliance of the medals' reflections signifies the warm glow of friendship depicted by people all over the world holding hands.

 

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To produce these valuable medals, the Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (Tokyo 2020) conducted the "Tokyo 2020 Medal Project" to collect small electronic devices, such as used mobile phones, from all over Japan.

This project makes Tokyo 2020 the first in the history of the Olympic and Paralympic Games to manufacture the medals using recycled metals.

Approximately 5,000 medals in total have now been produced from these recycled devices and the hope is that this project to recycle small consumer electronics and contribute to an environmentally friendly and sustainable society, will become a legacy of the Tokyo 2020 Games.

Here's a video showing how the Tokyo 2020 Olympic medals, ribbons and cases were made.

Here are the Gold, Silver and Bronze medals, front and back.

The ribbons have the traditional Japanese design motifs found in ichimatsu moyo (harmonised chequered patterns) and kasane no irome (traditional kimono layering techniques) in a modern presentation.

The ribbon is designed to be a reflection of Japan itself and of the way the country demonstrates "Unity in Diversity".

The design also promotes the Tokyo 2020 brand vision of "Innovation from Harmony".

Silicone convex lines are applied on the surface of the ribbon so that anyone can recognise the type of medal (gold, silver or bronze) by simply touching it.

Chemically recycled polyester fibres that produce less CO2 during their manufacturing process are used, which allow the ribbons to incorporate the Tokyo 2020 core graphic colours and to be extremely durable at the same time.

Medal Case Design

The design of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games medal case is inspired by the Tokyo 2020 Games emblem.

Each case pays tribute to the Olympians who have reached the pinnacle of athletic achievement.

Japanese craftsmen have carefully created the cases with a blend of traditional and modern techniques.

Like each individual Olympian who steps onto the field of play, each medal case is distinct and has its own wood fibre pattern subtly infused into the design.

2020 Paralympic Games
Medal Designer, Sakiko Matsumoto

The Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games Medal Designer was 30 year old Sakiko Matsumoto.

Like the Tokyo 2020 Olympic medals, the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic medals are being manufactured using recycled precious metals extracted from mobile phones and small electronic devices donated by the public. This sustainability initiative is part of the Tokyo 2020 Medal Project.

The design features a traditional Japanese fan motif, depicting the Paralympic Games as the source of a fresh new wind blowing through the world as well as a shared experience connecting diverse hearts and minds.

The kaname, or pivot point, holds all parts of the fan together. Here it represents Para athletes bringing people together regardless of nationality or ethnicity.

Motifs on the leaves of the fan depict the vitality of people's hearts and symbolise Japan's captivating and life-giving natural environment in the form of rocks, flowers, trees, leaves, and water.

These are applied with a variety of techniques, producing a textured surface that makes the medals compelling to touch.

Braille letters spell out Tokyo 2020 on the medals face.

A series of circular indentations on the side of the medals – one for gold, two for silver, three for bronze – make the medal types easy to distinguish by touch.