Toyota leads the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Torch Relay Convoy

Marathon 121-day event aims to promote Olympic spirit

The Tokyo Organising Committee of the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games recently unveiled the designs that will feature on the line-up of Toyota buses, vans and cars that will make up the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Torch Relay Convoy.

The convoy will accompany torch bearers along the relay route, which runs through all of the country’s 47 metropolitan districts from Fukushima, the southern-most prefecture in the Tōhoku region, to the new Olympics Stadium in Tokyo. The relay, which is scheduled to take place over 121 days, will start on March 26.

According to a statement issued by the committee, the livery that’s been chosen has been designed to embody the torch relay concept of hope lighting the way. “An ochre-coloured section and a flame emblazoned along the sides of the vehicles’ bodies depict the journey of the torch relay. A distinctive touch is added by the application of the fukibokashi colour gradation techniques used in traditional Japanese wood-block printing,” the statement says.

It adds: “While each vehicle will have a specific role such as leading the convoy, checking routes in advance and supporting the torch bearers, they will all share the same goal – to deliver the flame that will light the Olympic cauldron in Japan’s new national stadium, incorporating the hopes and dreams of the torch bearers and spectators. This message will be depicted in a sash emblazoned on the front of the vehicles, which will also feature on the torch bearers’ uniforms.”

The convoy comprises a wide variety of vehicles and models, including environmentally friendly hybrid and electric vehicles. Its aim is to herald the arrival of the Olympic Torch Relay along each stage of the route and to help promote a festive Olympic atmosphere throughout Japan.