The 2020 Tokyo Olympics have revealed the design of the new torch to be made of 30% aluminum — all constructed from waste recovered from temporary housing that was built in the wake of the catastrophic 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. The extruded torch will be carried by the athletes from Athens to the host capital city Tokyo, to ignite the Olympic Cauldron during the opening ceremony. The torch, which was created by Tokujin Yoshioka, prominent Japanese designer, was designed in the image of the cherry blossom, a much revered flower in Japanese history.
According to Yoshioka, “I designed the TOKYO 2020 Olympic Torch in the wishes for peace and healing of hearts in the disaster-hit area. The cherry blossom emblems I drew with children in the [area] recovering [from the earthquake] inspired me. Those cherry blossoms were all vibrant, as if they symbolize the spirit of the people trying to overcome and restart from the disaster. I aimed to convey this power to the world through my design.”
The torch — being made of aluminum — is lightweight and easy to grip. Its main body is comprised of five cylindrical shapes, each hollow in the middle with gaps at the end, forming the shape of five petals in total. Flames will rise from each petal, which are connected in the center of the torch. In total 10,000 pieces of recycled aluminum will be used to fabricate the torches needed for the Olympic relay. The delicate shape of the torch utilizes the same aluminum extrusion technology used in the manufacturing of Japan’s bullet trains.
The “flame of reconstruction” will begin by being displayed in the prefectures hardest hit by the earthquake and tsunami: Miyagi, Iwate and Fukushima, where the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant experienced a nuclear disaster initiated by the tsunami on March 11, 2011. Immediately after the earthquake there was an automatic shutdown of sustained fission reactions at the plant, but the tsunami that occurred as a result of the earthquake disabled emergency generators that should have cooled the reactors. This led to three nuclear meltdowns, hydrogen air explosions, and the release of radioactive material into the surrounding environment.
The torch’s journey will begin in Greece on March 26, 2020 and will travel to Japan, making its way through the entire country on its 121-day course, which will end in Tokyo for the Olympic Game’s opening ceremony. The 2020 Olympic Torch Relay concept is “Hope lights our way.” The aluminum scrap that was used to help rebuild lives devastated by the earthquake will now further the message of hope and recovery throughout the world.