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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