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The logo seen above was used during Tokyo’s bid for the Olympics and could be a good template for designers in this new competition. Image courtesy: WMC

TOKYO ― The Tokyo 2020 Emblems Selection Committee has announced a design competition to find the new logo for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The winning emblem will replace a design that was dropped in early September due to allegations of plagiarism against designer Kenjiro Sano.

According to the official website, the new competition is, “open to everyone regardless of previous experience or formal qualifications”.

This extends to people under the age of 18 and foreigners, but the caveat is that they must enter through the group entries system, which requires at least one person in the group to be above age, Japanese, and living in the country.

The committee had been criticized for previous competitions that were too strict on applicants, so it seems they’ve opened the door in response.

Committee chairman Ryohei Miyata suggested the public vote in the process of the selection; however, it has been some cause of public concern, for it would involve enormous cost and time.

Organizers would have to obtain international trademark registrations which cost about 50 million yen ($400,000 USD) and take 3 months per design.

“We have to overcome the problems about cost and time,” Miyata said in a statement.

Organizers said the process would be smoothed out by December through consultations with International Olympic Committee.

Applications can be submitted online from 24 November to 7 December 2015, and an official announcement of the winning entry is scheduled for the spring.

More than 10,000 application forms have already been downloaded through the website as of 22 October, according to the selection committee.

The selection process is expected to be a very difficult task.