
The organizers of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics are still wiping the egg from their faces over the controversy surrounding the event’s possibly plagiarized, definitely dropped logo. Not only is the Organising Committee scrambling to prepare a new emblem, it also has to deal with recalling all of the promotional items it had already produced bearing the now cancelled design.
But with the rather convincing accusations that designer Kenjiro Sano copied the emblem coming so late in the game, some of those promotional materials have already made their way into the hands of private parties who are now reselling the sure to be rare items at a premium in online auctions.
If you head on over to Yahoo! Auctions, Japan’s most popular online auction house, you can place a bid for this pair of posters, sporting the looks created by either Sano or French designer Olivier Debie, depending on which side of the plagiarism debate you feel has made the more compelling case.
The seller, who goes by the screen name rucchi_en, says that the 103 by 72.5-centimeter (40.6 by 28.5-inch) posters have never been used, and are thus free of scratches and fading. Currently, the highest bid sits at 50,000 yen (US$410), although plunking down 100,000 yen will allow you to purchase the posters outright right now.
As a matter of fact, if you happen to have any posters or memorabilia sporting Sano’s Olympic emblem, the market for such items seems to be booming. On Sunday, a pair of Sano-designed Olympic and Paralympic posters (which may or may not be the same two rucchi_en is looking to unload), were successfully sold in an online auction for 45,000 yen, meaning that the market price for such items seems to have risen 11 percent in just a matter of days, a fantastic rate of growth for an investment.
If you’re interested in owning the posters, either to hang on your wall or try to flip to another buyer, bids can be placed for rucchi_en’s auction here. Alternatively, you can wait for the Tokyo Olympics Organising Committee to come up with a new, almost certainly more aesthetically pleasing pair of designs, then buy posters of them for a fraction of the cost.
Sources: Byokan Sunday, Yahoo! Auctions, NHK
Images: Yahoo! Auctions


Could the 2020 Tokyo Olympics logo possibly be plagiarized?
Looks like it’s time to say good-bye, and maybe good riddance, to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics logo
7-Eleven issues statement over the discontinued Olympic emblem, and their oden
Official 2020 Tokyo Olympic logos possess a little secret you might not have noticed
Olympic committee expands call for logo design submissions, children and office workers welcome
Japan Extreme Budget Travel! A trip from Tokyo to Izumo for just 30,000 yen [Part 2]
The fish in rural Fukui that rivals Japan’s most auspicious sea bream
Real-world Nausicaa Ghibli anime glider completes its final flight in Japan【Video】
Drift ice in Japan is a disappearing winter miracle you need to see now
Tokyo street sweets: The must-snack treats of Nakano’s Refutei
Starbucks Japan releases first-ever Hinamatsuri Girls’ Day Frappuccino
It’s illegal for yakuza to go to professional baseball games in Japan, Tokyo arrests remind us
Japanese drugstore sells onigiri at pre-stupid era prices, but how do they compare to 7-Eleven?
One of Japan’s rarest sweets is a sell-out hit that looks and tastes like frost
Japanese train platform door tech promotes safety, illusions of being in a sci-fi universe
Highest Starbucks in Japan set to open this spring in the Tokyo sky
Tokyo Skytree turns pink for the cherry blossom season
Japanese restaurant chain serves Dragon Ball donuts and Senzu Beans this spring
Yakuzen ramen restaurant in Tokyo is very different to a yakuza ramen restaurant
Japan Extreme Budget Travel! A trip from Tokyo to Izumo for just 30,000 yen [Part 1]
Japan has only one airport named after a samurai, so let’s check out Kochi Ryoma【Photos】
Burning through cash just to throw things away tops list of headaches when moving house in Japan
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Foreigners accounting for over 80 percent of off-course skiers needing rescue in Japan’s Hokkaido
Super-salty pizza sends six kids to the hospital in Japan, linguistics blamed
Starbucks Japan unveils new sakura Frappuccino for cherry blossom season 2026
Foreign tourists in Japan will get free Shinkansen tickets to promote regional tourism
The 10 most annoying things foreign tourists do on Japanese trains, according to locals
Take a trip to Japan’s Dododo Land, the most irritating place on Earth
Naruto and Converse team up for new line of shinobi sneakers[Photos]
Is China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning affecting the lines at a popular Tokyo gyukatsu restaurant?
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
New Tokyo Olympic stadium architect responds to accusations of plagiarism
Is there an adorably chubby bird hiding inside the Tokyo Olympics logo?
McDonald’s Japan gets into the spirit of the games with new Tokyo 2020 Olympics tumblers
Just what the heck is the Tokyo Olympics symbol supposed to be?
Tokyo Olympic chief may resign over misogynistic remarks, promises statement