Medals are unique to each Games and to produce the medals, the Tokyo Organising Committee conducted the “Tokyo 2020 Medal Project” to collect small electronic devices such as used mobile phones from all over Japan. This project makes Tokyo 2020 the first in the history of the Olympic Games to involve citizens in the production of medals, and to manufacture the medals using recycled metals.
Approximately 5,000 medals have been produced from small electronic devices that were contributed by people all over Japan. Tokyo 2020 launched a medal design competition, inviting the public to submit design ideas for the medals. The medals for Tokyo 2020 were designed by Junichi Kawanishi.