Tokyo 2020 Unveils Operation BATON Emblems

Made from timber sourced across Japan, highlighting the Games’ focus on sustainability

Tokyo, 24 October 2017 - The Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games

(Tokyo 2020) today unveiled special wooden emblems crafted from timber donated by municipalities

across Japan as part of its "Operation BATON" sustainability programme. BATON stands for "Building

Athletes’ Village with Timber Of the Nation," an initiative whereby buildings in the Village Plaza of the

Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 are to be constructed using timber from sustainable

sources in participating municipalities. The emblems are designed to highlight Tokyo 2020’s focus on

sustainability and to symbolise their vision of "Unity in Diversity", and will be displayed in the centre of

the Athletes’ Village during the Games.

The emblems were commissioned to celebrate the launch of the Operation BATON initiative, and are

formed of wood from trees such as sugi (Japanese cedar), karamatsu (Japanese larch) and hinoki

(Japanese cypress), which are commonly used in the construction of houses in Japan. Like the

emblems, buildings in the Village Plaza will be constructed using timber sourced in line with the Tokyo

2020 Sustainable Sourcing Code for Timber.

Tokyo 2020 staff joined representatives of the participating municipalities to celebrate the launch of the

project and to unveil the new displays.

Tokyo 2020 Vice President Toshiaki Endo commented,

"Engaging the whole country and prioritising environmental sustainability is a core pledge of the Tokyo

2020 Games. The BATON project is based on these principles, and is the first initiative of the kind in the

history of Olympic and Paralympic Games."

Hajime Furuta, Governor of Gifu prefecture commented, "From Gifu prefecture, where 81% of the

land is covered with forest, we will donate cedar and cypress wood. To use a Japanese expression, I

feel honoured and thrilled to literally ‘stand on a cypress stage’ – meaning to stand on a big stage. Gifu

prefecture looks forward to contributing to the success of the Games."

Heita Kawakatsu, Governor of Shizuoka prefecture, commented, "Two thirds of Shizuoka

prefecture are covered with forest. We will donate hinoki from the foothills of Mount Fuji and other kinds

of timber from the Minami Alps, the Tenryu Birin Forest and the Izu Peninsula. People in Shizuoka have

cultivated beautiful forests for many generations, and we are now pursuing various initiatives to ensure

Shizuoka city remains the "Mori no Miyako" (the forest capital)."

Added Shuji Oki, Deputy Director General of the Forestry Agency, "I am glad that we will have an

opportunity to showcase our nation’s traditional wood resources in this way, and I hope that locallysourced

timber wood supplies will be used more widely, not only at the New National Stadium and the

Athletes’ Village Plaza, but also at other future projects throughout the nation. I am looking forward to

the success of the BATON project."

Artist’s rendition of the Athletes’ Village Plaza:

Exterior Interior

Note: Images are based on current plans, which are subject to change

High-resolution photos of the event and from the participating municipalities are available for

download here:

https://media.tokyo2020.jp/en/press-room/press-kit/data/1124image-EN.zip

(ID: media / password: tokyo2020media)

Please credit Tokyo 2020 when using these photos

For more information: Tokyo 2020 Online Press Room, ID: media password: tokyo2020media

International Communications

Tatsuo OGURA Tristan LAVIER Junichi SATO Kaho AKIYAMA

tatsuo.ogura@tokyo2020.jp tristan.lavier@tokyo2020.jp junichi.sato@tokyo2020.jp kaho.akiyama@tokyo2020.jp

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