Preparations for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics are not off to a smooth start what with Zaha Hadid's stadium design being scrapped and the emblem design becoming embroiled in a plagiarism scandal. After rounds of heated debate about whether the logo designer Kenjiro Sano copied the 'T' mark from Belgium's Theatre de Liege logo, the emblem was scrapped in September – and now it's time to tidy up all the mess. The good news for other designers out there is the Tokyo 2020 Emblems Selection Committee has resolved to launch an open competition this time around.
Between November 24 and December 7, you can submit your design via the special webpage – and the only rules are that you need to be older than 18 and a resident of Tokyo (or, if you are submitting as part of a group, then your group representative needs to comply with these rules). It seems they are welcoming entries from foreigners living in Tokyo too: Yukihiko Nunomura, Tokyo 2020's chief operating officer, told Japan Times that 'foreign people living in Japan have a different viewpoint of Japanese culture and Japan's merits to Japanese people, so we thought it would be a good idea to have a more diverse input into what the new logo should be'.
If you agree with the vision of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics – 'achieving personal best, unity in diversity and connecting to tomorrow' – and think you have a good idea to bring this vision to life in a single logo, be sure to read through all the guidelines and triple check that your entry is not in any way similar to any existing logos around the world so as to save our city from any further worldwide humiliation. The prize includes a ¥1 million cash prize and, of course, an official invitation to the games.