Mascot designs for 2020 Tokyo Olympics shortlisted
TOKYO (AP) — Japanese schoolchildren will help determine the mascot for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Organizers of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics on Wednesday unveiled three sets of designs for the Games' mascots. The schoolchildren will review the shortlisted designs with their classes casting a single vote in favor of one of the three sets.
The three finalists were selected from among 2,042 entries submitted by the public, with the winner to be announced on Feb. 28.
The first set is a pair of humanoid characters clad in the 'ichimatsu" checkered pattern of the Games' official logo.
The second set features a "maneki neko" (good-luck cat) and a fox commonly seen at Shinto shrines.