
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
Stamina-destroying “Paralysis Noodles” are Tokyo’s newest over-the-top ramen innovation
Uniqlo Ukiyo-e Blue T-shirts: A cool-hued reinterpretation of some of Japan’s greatest paintings
KFC Japan opens a Christmas restaurant in Tokyo…but why???
Chinese government’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning has heartwarming non-effect on Yokohama Chinatown
Bear attack shelters going on sale in Japan as country experiences record-high number of incidents
Japan’s lap-pillow ear-cleaning salons aren’t just for pervy guys, we find out
Major Japanese noodle chain is closing on Christmas Eve so workers can spend time with families
Viral 3D ice creams land in Japan… but are they worth the hype?
Mountain Dew opening the Mountain De Yu public bath house in Tokyo for Mountain Day
Toyota City civil servant arrested for using government access to run a detective agency
Nintendo’s Kirby now delivering orders at Kura Sushi restaurants, but not in Japan
Japan considering raising international traveler departure tax even more than previously reported
Is China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning affecting tourist crowds in Shibuya’s Don Quijote?
Is China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning affecting tourist crowd sizes in Nara?
China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning seems to be affecting Osaka’s Namba and Dotonbori neighborhoods
Japanese town suing resident for being a jerk
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
You can now buy a Japanese train station clock in Japan
Japanese police attempting to clamp down on “zombie cigarettes”
Tokyo’s Ueno Station has an unmanned noodle restaurant on its platform, and its no-joke good
Starbucks Japan unveils new Christmas goods and a rhinestone tumbler that costs 19,500 yen
Real-world Nausicaa Ghibli anime glider completes its final flight in Japan【Video】
Brand-new Pokémon park opens in Japan with larger-than-life-size Lapras【Photos】
Japanese train company is letting fans buy its actual ticket gates for their homes
Is China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning affecting tourist crowds in Tokyo’s Asakusa neighborhood?
The 10 best day trips from downtown Tokyo【Survey】
Naturally brown-haired Osaka student sues government for forcing her to dye her hair black
Japanese government considering tripling departure taxes to combat overtourism
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s deadliest food claims more victims, but why do people keep eating it for New Year’s?
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】
The top 10 annoying foreign tourist behaviors on trains, as chosen by Japanese people【Survey】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
Starbucks Japan reveals new sakura drinkware collection, inspired by evening cherry blossoms
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
Leave a Reply