Organisers said the slogan "emphasises the power of sport to bring together people from diverse backgrounds of every kind and allows them to connect and celebrate in a way that reaches beyond their differences".

To celebrate the release of the motto, a laser mapping display will be projected onto the Tokyo Skytree tower from today until March 25.

A video featuring Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka has also been released to "share the key messages behind the Tokyo 2020 Games motto with the world".

The motto will be used in various ways and only be displayed in English.

People can expect to see it at competition venues, on official products and as part of street decorations.

It will also be used in digital media.

"The Games motto encapsulates the Games vision, capturing the essence of the ideas and concepts that the host city wishes to share with the world," Tokyo 2020 said. 

"United by Emotion expresses the hope that the spectators, volunteers, and athletes from over 200 National Olympic Committees and the Refugee Olympic Team gathering in Tokyo this summer, as well as the billions watching on television and online across the globe, will come together and understand that there is more that unites than divides them.

"In this age where we so often connect with others without physically meeting, the Tokyo 2020 Games will inspire countless new face-to-face encounters among those participating in and watching events. 

"The Games will provide a time and a place where an astounding variety of people – different nationalities, ethnicities, races, genders, cultures, as well as those with and without impairments – can meet and get to know each other and look beyond their differences. 

"Sport gives people the opportunity to experience a variety of emotions and passions, and the Tokyo 2020 Games will allow people to witness the courage and competitive spirit of the athletes and voice their support. 

"This is precisely the power of sport – its ability to connect people through their emotions. 

"And it is what Tokyo 2020 intends to depict with the motto United by Emotion. 

"The moment when the world turns to Tokyo to share the excitement of the Games will soon be upon us. 

"Tokyo 2020 will use this motto throughout the build-up to the Games to illuminate the city of Tokyo and its Games venues."

The first Olympics to adopt a motto was Munich 1972 which used the phrase "The Happy Games".

A slogan has been a regular feature since Seoul 1988 with organisers in South Korea choosing "Harmony and Progress".

Subsequent mottos for Summer Games have been "Friends for Life" at Barcelona 1992, "The Celebration of the Century" at Atlanta 1996, "Share the Spirit - Dare to Dream" at Sydney 2000, "Welcome Home" at Athens 2004, "One World, One Dream" at Beijing 2008, "Inspire a Generation" at London 2012 and "A New World" at Rio 2016. 

The Tokyo 2020 Olympics will run between July 24 and August 9 with the Paralympics following between August 25 and September 6.