In a year from now the Olympic torch will arrive at the National Stadium in Shinjuku, marking the beginning of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

On its way to Tokyo, the torch will pass through all 47 of Japan’s prefectures in a relay comprising thousands of carriers – community pillars, athletes and celebrities. The 121-day procession will act as a symbolic countdown to the beginning of the Games, but the torch designer tells us there is deeper meaning to this year’s relay.

In an exclusive interview (see video above) we caught up with Tokujin Yoshioka, the designer of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic torch, to find out what inspired this year’s design and the material he used to make it.

What inspired the torch design?

“In 2015 I first started drawing the sakura [cherry blossom] emblem with children from the areas affected by the earthquake and tsunami,” he said. “It was their joyful drawings of cherry blossom that inspired the design of this torch.”

"The sakura flower is a symbol of Japan. Every March, Japanese people wait not just for the happiness that comes with spring's arrival but also for the flowers themselves to bloom. For me it represents the Japanese people coming together."