WORLD
Tokyo 2020 Olympics mascots make official debut
Baku, July 22, AZERTAC
The 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic mascots' names were revealed as Miraitowa and Someity, respectively, at a ceremony on Sunday, according to Kyodo news agency.
Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee President Yoshiro Mori and Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike did the honors, displaying the name placards as the two mascots made a public appearance roughly two years ahead of the start of the Summer Games.
Daiya Seto, the 400-meter individual medley bronze medalist at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, and Monika Seryu, who represented Japan in female paracanoe at the Rio Paralympics, also took the stage with six students from a Tokyo elementary school.
Blue-and-white Olympic mascot Miraitowa's name is based on two Japanese words representing the concept of a bright future ("mirai") that is everlasting ("towa.") The name of Someity, the pink-and-white Paralympic character, is derived from Somei Yoshino, Japan's most popular variety of cherry tree, and the English expression "so mighty."
