Tokyo Olympics Pictogram Meme
Original Korean title
도쿄올림픽 픽토그램 밈
The Tokyo Olympics Pictogram Meme grew out of a mime performance introducing the Olympic sports at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony that went viral worldwide.
Originated around 2021Last updated: August 4, 2026
What does it mean?
At the Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony on July 23, 2021, the Japanese dance-and-mime duo GABEZ performed a "pictogram sequence," acting out all 50 Olympic sports with their bodies. The performance video surpassed 10 million views on YouTube, and a wave of parody content followed both in Korea and abroad, along with nicknames like "Pictogram Man" and "Pictojwa" (roughly, "the master of pictograms").
Where did it start?
GABEZ's pictogram performance at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics opening ceremony (July 23, 2021).
How is it used?
Good to bring up when talking about a performance that cleverly expresses something through body movement.
Ratings by context haven't been confirmed yet.