“All gather under the sun, all are equal, and all receive energy.” This concept inspired the design of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Cauldron.
Welcome. We are standing before the 2020 Summer Olympics and Paralympics Cauldron. It was created for the games held right here in Tokyo. The cauldron embodies the spirit of the Olympics. It is more than just a vessel for the Olympic flame.
The cauldron was designed by Oki Sato. He is a Canadian-Japanese designer. Sato attended Waseda University. Yoshinori Sakai also attended this university. Sakai lit the cauldron in 1964. The cauldron initially looked like a sphere. It then bloomed to receive the torch. Tennis player Naomi Osaka lit it during the Olympics opening ceremony. Yui Kamiji, Karin Morisaki and Shunsuke Uchida lit it at the Paralympics opening ceremony.
Sato said the design expresses the sun. It also shows the energy and vitality that can be obtained from it. Think of plants sprouting, flowers blooming and hands opening wide toward the sky. The steps to the cauldron symbolize Mount Fuji. They were designed to evoke the image of a blooming sakura flower.
One cauldron was inside Japan National Stadium. This was during the opening and closing ceremonies. Another permanent cauldron was lit outside the stadium. This was at Tokyo’s new waterfront on Ariake West Canal. Ayaka Takahashi lit it.
The cauldron’s flame was the first at the Olympics to burn hydrogen as fuel. The hydrogen came from the Fukushima Prefecture. It was produced via the electrolysis of water using solar power. This hydrogen is known as green hydrogen. Hydrogen burns with an invisible flame. Sodium carbonate was sprayed to create a yellow and visible flame. This is unlike propane. Propane has traditionally been used as fuel in previous Olympic flames.
Mansai Nomura was the Chief Executive Creative Director. He made 85 drafts. These ranged from flames in glass spheres to spinning flames. The final design was a sphere with upper and lower hemispheres. Each had five panels representing the Olympic rings. At the end of the Opening Ceremony, the cauldron bloomed. It welcomed the final torchbearer. After the cherry blossoms have fallen, attention turns to anticipation of the coming year. This lingering nuance is also regarded as a part of the beauty.
The cauldron weighs 2.7 tons. Its diameter after transformation is about 3.5 meters. The exterior panel weighs about 40 kg per sheet. It was made by cutting out a 10 mm thick aluminum plate. A special hot press machine molded it. This machine can apply a pressure of 3500 tons. Only a few of these exist in Japan. The work was performed at ultra-low speed. This ensured precision.
The internal drive unit had to be compact. It also had to be waterproof, fireproof and heat resistant. Polygonal mirror panels covered the machines. This created diffused reflection of the lighting and the flamelight. Tests for heat and wind resistance were repeated. The apparatus was tuned to prevent vibration or error.
The Olympic Cauldron is more than metal and fire. It embodies the spirit of the games and Japan’s commitment to innovation and sustainability. It crystallizes the essence of Japanese manufacturing. It represents a harmonious blend of tradition and progress.