--- title: Why the 2021 Summer Olympics Mascot Is Miraitowa description: The official mascot of the Tokyo 2021 Summer Olympics is Miraitowa, who gets its name from the Japanese words for future and eternity. canonical: https://time.com/5664044/2021-summer-olympics-mascot-miraitowa-meaning/ author: Cady Lang article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2019-12-27T22:16:52.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-01-15T19:18:01.000Z og:title: Why the 2020 Summer Olympics Mascot Is Miraitowa og:description: Here's what you need to know about the official Tokyo 2020 mascot og:url: https://time.com/5664044/2021-summer-olympics-mascot-miraitowa-meaning/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7a5a6b029ac7b96e/698a021b656a3fbac7bd8d70/2020-summer-olympics-mascot-meaning.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2000 og:image:height: 1125 og:image:alt: Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games 2 Years To Go og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Why the 2020 Summer Olympics Mascot Is Miraitowa twitter:description: Here's what you need to know about the official Tokyo 2020 mascot twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7a5a6b029ac7b96e/698a021b656a3fbac7bd8d70/2020-summer-olympics-mascot-meaning.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # The 2021 Summer Olympics Mascot Is Miraitowa: Here's What That Means > Sponsored content. 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Brief (Washington politics, twice weekly), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=0a41b14b-89b1-41f8-8461-4ee835da1858&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1)  by [Cady Lang](https://time.com/author/cady-lang/)  ## Cady Lang Updated: Jan 15, 2026 7:18 PM UTCPublished: Dec 27, 2019 10:16 PM UTC  TOKYO, JAPAN - JULY 24: Tokyo 2020 mascots, Miraitowa (L) and Someity (R) on stage during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games Two Years To Go Ceremony at Tokyo Skytree on July 24, 2018 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Matt Roberts/Getty Images) TOKYO, JAPAN - JULY 24: Tokyo 2020 mascots, Miraitowa (L) and Someity (R) on stage during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games Two Years To Go Ceremony at Tokyo Skytree on July 24, 2018 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Matt Roberts/Getty Images) Matt Roberts—Getty Images  by [Cady Lang](https://time.com/author/cady-lang/)  ## Cady Lang Updated: Jan 15, 2026 7:18 PM UTCPublished: Dec 27, 2019 10:16 PM UTC After a year-long postponement due to the coronavirus pandemic, the 2021 Tokyo Olympics are back on track, which means that Miraitowa, a blue and white, smiling, futuristic creature will make its debut as the official mascot of the [Tokyo 2021 Summer Olympic Games ](https://time.com/4052115/olympics-tokyo-2020-sports/)when it begins on July 23, 2021. The mascot, which resembles both a feline superhero and a robot, gets its name from the Japanese words “mirai” (meaning future) and “towa” (meaning eternity). According to the official [Olympics site](https://www.olympic.org/news/tokyo-2020-olympic-and-paralympic-mascots-make-official-debuts), the name was chosen “to promote a future of eternal hope in the hearts of people all over the world.” Miraitowa’s physical appearance includes the same indigo blue icimatsu-pattern used for the [Tokyo 2021 Summer Games emblem](https://tokyo2020.org/en/games/emblem/). Its personality is inspired by a traditional Japanese proverb that means “to learn old things well and to acquire new knowledge from them,” which contrasts nicely with its focus on the future. According to the [Olympics site](https://www.olympic.org/news/tokyo-2020-olympic-and-paralympic-mascots-make-official-debuts), Miraitowa lives in the digital world, but can appear in the real world via the internet; it also has the power to teleport instantly. Miraitowa’s first appearance was at a naming ceremony at the Tokyo Midtown Hibiya in the middle of modern Tokyo, where it appeared alongside the Paralympic mascot, Someity. Miraitowa then showed off its teleporting skills by traveling instantly to Asakusa in Old Tokyo, where it cruised down the Sumida River and met new fans. Miraitowa’s creation came as a result of the input of over 75% of Japanese elementary schools, who voted for their favorite mascot designs. See Miraitowa in action on its debut day below. 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