TOKYO (AP) — The designer of the emblem for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics says he did not copy a Belgian theater logo that looks similar.
Kenjiro Sano’s emblem for the Tokyo games bears a striking resemblance to the logo for Belgium’s Theatre de Liege, created by designer Olivier Debie.
In a statement from Tokyo 2020 organizers on Friday, Sano said “I had absolutely no previous knowledge of the design in question, and I certainly did not refer to it when creating my design.”
The Tokyo emblem, unveiled last week, is based on a T, standing for Tokyo, tomorrow and team. The logo for Theater de Liege has a similar shape in white against a black background.
Organizers said they researched trademarks in and outside of Japan before deciding on the logo.
