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Published 18:25 IST, July 26th 2019

Tokyo Olympics 2020: You'll never believe what the medals will be made from

The 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan is not just about games but also involves promoting the message sustainable development and climate change. The medals for the event were recently unveiled and it is revealed that the medals will be made from recycled electronic waste, primarily old phones that the Japanese people have disposed of.   

Reported by: Koushik Narayanan
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The 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan is not just about games but also involves promoting the message sustainable development and climate change. The medals for the event were recently unveiled and it is revealed that the medals will be made from recycled electronic waste, primarily old phones that the Japanese people have disposed of.   

The inspiration for using recycled phone parts stems from the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, where the medals for the competition were made from recycling unwanted computer parts.   

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The official Twitter handle of the Toky 2020 Olympics shared a video of the medals being made. Visuals show minute details of the medal being made with a lot of patience and in a skillful manner. The medal design is aimed to showcase the theme of light, brilliance, diversity, hard work, and friendship. In the video, the designer is seen creating the design for the medal, the details of which are breathtaking. The entire process beginning from designing of the medal to the final output is captured beautifully in the video.  

See the video below:  

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The medals are designed by Japanese designer Junichi Kawanishi. They feature geometric drawings inspired by the traditional Japanese art of 'Ichimatsu Moyo' meaning harmonized checkered patterns and 'Kasane no irome' - the traditional techniques of the kimonos. Each medal also comes with a case made from Japanese ash and hangs on a ribbon meant to recall the designs of Japanese kimonos. Thirty-two kilograms of gold, 3,500 kilograms of silver and 2,200 kilograms of copper and zinc for the bronze medals were collected.   

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“With their shining rings, I hope the medals will be seen as paying tribute to the athletes' efforts, reflecting their glory and symbolizing friendship,” Junichi Kawanishi said, according to media reports. 

The medals bear a thick and textured look as opposed to the flatter discs at the recent Olympics. 

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15:24 IST, July 26th 2019