Last October, after drama over a potentially plagiarized logo, the Tokyo Organizing Committee put out an open call for submissions for a new emblem. Ideas arrived in droves: 14,599 designs, from professionals and amateurs alike, came in. Today, the committee has unveiled the four that are shortlisted for selection.

The designs all feature a circular decal atop the words "Tokyo 2020," and either the iconic Olympic rings or the red-blue-and-green "three agitos" insignia that represents the Paralympic Games. Most draw on symbolism rooted in Japanese culture; the "harmonized checkered emblem," for example, uses the "ichimatsu moyo" checkered pattern popular during the time when Tokyo was known as Edo. The morning glory flower, seen in the "flowering of emotions" design, is another motif from Japan's Edo period.

The Tokyo Organizing Committee went the extra mile to avoid a debacle like last summer's, in which Belgian designer Olivier Debie accused Japanese designer Kenjiro Sano of plagiarism. In a statement accompanying the four shortlisted designs, the committee said, "we have implemented a series of format and design checks on all entries, and have received the cooperation of design experts during the design checks. We have also undertaken both domestic and international trademark verification procedures." Now that the four designs are public, the committee is turning the process back over to the people, again. Via an opinion form on the site, the committee is accepting opinions from the public until April 17. Those thoughts will factor into the Tokyo 2020 Emblems Selection Committee's final decision.