Tokyo Olympics protest parody of logo that depicts COVID-19

Insensitive or difficult does not mean that it can't also be a parody. I see it as a fair use parody of the Tokyo 2020 logo, so while feelings might be hurt, they shouldn't be able to stop it.

This is a culture clash. Most of the journalists responsible are from western countries, where being critical of and poking fun at the authorities, government and big institutions are allowed and accepted. In Japan, the people in power have much thinner skins.

A clever design!

A parody is a parody........acceptable in most parts of the world. It is the only way of poking fun at the powerful. But ooops, we are in Japan where you are not allowed to poke fun at the powerful.

Like the Danish version of the Chinese flag. Not funny in these parts of the world. Can they relax a laugh a bit?

Those pesky foreign correspondents!

Don't forget the Japan Olympic Committee originally went with a logo for Tokyo blatantly plagarized from a Belgian design.

Haha! I like it! A little humor in these crazy times is good. Besides, in a nutshell that image shows exactly what is at stake here in Japan.

Great design! Congratulations to the JOC for giving the extra exposure it deserves. I wouldn't have seen it otherwise.

Japan needs more parody and satire in its national media, not less.

Japanese officials are so vain they blew their wad on promoting the olympics now have nothing left to support medical workers, ventilators, proper masks and so forth

Streisand effect in action right here - Most would probably never have known about this had Tokyo not kicked up a fuss about it.

Clever design from Mr. Pothecary. The JOC have shot themselves in the foot with this over-reaction and attempted bullying of the FCCJ, drawing far more attention than it otherwise would have received. The JOC's claim that the design is "insensitive to the athlete's feelings" is nonsense; it's just that they don't like it.

Needless to say, the nettoyo knuckle-draggers that infest social media in this country are up in arms about it. Hopefully the FCCJ won't cave in and remove the design.

Don't forget the Japan Olympic Committee originally went with a logo for Tokyo blatantly plagarized from a Belgian design.

And let's not forget that before the "competition" winner was announced the Suntory website featured an array of goods emblazoned with the winning design.

Love it.

While the logo would most likely fall under fair use in Western countries, ... TIJ. A legal challenge could very well succeed here because loss of face by important people trumps common sense.

Great fun. Love it.

“It is very disappointing to see the games emblem being distorted and associated with the novel coronavirus, which affects human life, people’s lives, the economy, and our society,

Olympic games: corruption, bribery, shifting attention from real problems and huge public debt. which affects human life, people’s lives, the economy, and our society, Use any thing you want. How about banknotes?

Great design!

sums it up.

What a bunch of crybabies! Japan tried to parody things all the time, like Hamada doing black face even in 2018, and instead of admitting something is actually offensive, just shrug it off and say no one understands Japanese comedy. Shouldn’t they all be stoic and just accept it? This is NOTHING! Maybe they should have taken Sano’s logo and parodied that.

Mr. Pothecary lacks any creative spirit, apart from plagiarising Tokyo 2020 design.

I wounder if he could try his Corona design with, for instance, the US flag. I bet he will chicken out because he knows that unlike Japanese, the US will not tolerate this frivolity.

Tokyo Olympics officials are incensed that their games emblem has been used in the cover design of a local magazine that combines the logo with the novel coronavirus.

I and many other Japanese nationals and long term residents are incensed that vainglorious Japanese officials blew all taxpayers money and energy even after the Corona virus hit, instead of using funds to assist health care workers, begin urgent research, provide medical equipment and do mass testing. I implore everyone to join me writing to all foreign nations intending to participate in any future Olympics in Japan to beware and study the way Japan is handling this crisis.

The parody may tell us Tokyo Olympics should be cancelled because corona infections and more deaths would last years. Athletes and visitors would not come for the Olympics. Trillions of taxpayers money are already used for people and their businesses fallen in deep troubles. No more extra money for the Olympics. So it could not be held next year.

Has no one noticed that the artist is Andrew Pothecary as in Apothecary as in druggist/chemist/pharmacist?

Sense a bit of parody here, myself.

I was expecting comments like above from the typical, precarious Westerners.

But this logo was sickening at a glance.

I'm not affiliated with the Japanese nor Tokyo Metropolitan Government. I'm one of those who suspects the feasibility of the Olympics next year myself.

Nonetheless, it hits home as I share the frustration with the athletes around the world and those who have devoted massive energy and money to host a successful event.

Congratulations if this logo amuses and entertains you while sitting around in a stakeless life.

The Number 1 Shimbun dates back to the first years of the postwar period. It is written by, and for, foreign journalists, who are members of a club that charges dues. I'm not sure of its print run, but it couldn't be more than 2,000 copies, and these are not sold on the open market but distributed to members.

So whatever the message of the image, it cannot be said that the club had an ulterior motive to proselytize anything to the public at large. I also note that that cover art has been posted on the site for about seven weeks already, and if any of the members of the FCCJ itself had wanted to raise an objection, it would have happened by now.

The Japan Olympic Committee is out of line to throw its weight around like this. I guess they have too much time on their hands, waiting for the other shoe to drop, next year, to see if the games will be held or cancelled for good.

Most of the journalists responsible are from western countries, where being critical of and poking fun at the authorities, government and big institutions are allowed

So long as it fits the prevailing liberal narrative, otherwise it's deemed hate speech and they lose their job or worse. The West isn't in any way more free than Japan.

I felt upset when viewing all these comments here as I am Japanese. I understand many people even Japanese might enjoy this "parody" but in fact, I assume many Japanese people hate these kinds of "parody" and "satire."