Monday, September 12, 2005

World Expo Aichi 2005

Expo Aichi 2005 is set to run for 185 days between March 25 and September 25 and is Japan's second World Exposition, the first being Osaka's Expo 1970.
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The theme of the Expo is 'Nature's Wisdom' (in japanese ai-chikyuhaku 愛地球博), with national and corporate pavilions expressing themes of ecological co-existence, renewable technology and the wonders of nature. Official mascots are kiccoro (forest child) and morizo (forest grandfather). There are about 122 countries and five international institutions participating formally in the Aichi Expo.
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The journey from Kyoto to Nagoya took us about 3 hours by local trains (using the seishun 18 kippu). Left, Menaka and right, Cho.
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Great care has been taken to build the pavilions out of recycled or recyclable materials, to lessen the environmental impact on the site, and to provide environmental friendly transportation to and within the Expo area.

Corporate Pavilion Zone A and Corporate Pavilion Zone B : corporate pavilions where visitors can experience the excitement of the latest technology.
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Outside the Wonder Circus - Electric Power Pavilion is decorated with pictures drawn by children based on the themes - Our Dreams and The Future of the Earth. Riding on an electric train, visitors can experience a travel to wonders and dreams.
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In the Toyota Group Pavilion, one could enjoy a welcome show performed by robot music band and a main show of futuristic concept (the directions and technology of future society, along with the possibilities for the vehicles of the future).
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Inside the Gas Pavilion - The Magic Theater of Flames, special effects, images and performances enables visitor to easily understand the versatility and possibilities of natural gas
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With the latest IT technology, inside the Hitachi Group Pavilion - Nature Contact visitors can come in contact with rare animals selected from the World Conservation Union's 'red list' of animals threatened with global extinction.

Other corporate pavilions such as the JR Central Pavilion - Invitation to the Ultimate Surface Transit System, JAMA Wonder Wheel Pavilion, Mitsubishi Pavilion : Earth - What If the Moon Didn't Exist ? and several more.
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The Expo Plaza - an open area in the center of the Expo site has an 840-inch screen and an outdoor stage - a variety of events by different countries. A green environment overall - a place where visitors can relax.
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Within this period, approximately 15 million visitors are expected to turn up for the expo. It was so hot on that day of our visit and so crowded (in fact it is crowded all the time) that one has to take a number and wait forever to get in the major pavilions (the corporate ones). Damn ... we didn't manage to get into any of the big ones.

Expo Aichi 2005 : http://www-1.expo2005.or.jp/en/

11 comments:

Melissa said...

Patrick! Thats like an hour away from where I live! I wish I would have known you were coming down! To tell you the truth, I havent even thought about going...too many people!

Acrix said...

Days before saw the anime of Kiccoro and Morizo on NHK :P Anyway, do they sell the soft-toy of the mascot as souvenir? Coz i once saw the softtoy of the mascot at the kyogen performance where they got a table featuring aichi expo stuffz~ Read in the news that someone is making porno shooting inside the cable car~

kinao said...

In Portugal we had Lisbon Expo in 1998 and i thought it was a huge event! 15 million visitors expected???!!! we have about 10 m inhabitants! Gee, I love Japan!!!

zbjernak said...

the mascot are cute cute

and the buildings...are make-shift building?

build it purposely for the expo...and then dismantle it?

cool

3 hours...like kl to taiping
quite far hoh....one day trip?

problogger said...

Oh, you were at the Expo too :-)

It's too crowded now, you should go there during June or July.. I managed to get into most of the pavilions.. after lining up as early as 7.00am at the entrance before the opening time at 9.00 am

Patrick Leong said...

melissa : actually i didn't plan to go. it was a last minute invitation from a friend. he has got extra juhachi 18 kippu. yes. too many visitors. however i had great time. i have never seen so many different people from different countries in my life. some of them from africa and east asia were very nice and friendly.

acrix : yes. they do sell the kiccoro and morizo soft toy and cap. but they weren't cheap. porno inside the cable car ? in the expo ? that's disgrace !!!

amanda : you beat me. i am not sure how they have arranged the plants. looking at it again - very nice and creative indeed. the mascot logo ? no .. not high up. but nearby there is the world's largest green wall (150 m by 15 m) with two hundred thousand stocks of seasonal flowers and grasses of 200 kinds planted on it.

kinao : i have never been to portugal. i have one friend from there. but i have lost contact with him after he went back last year. the expo was so crowded with people. but it was very lively too. if i have time, i like to go again. i wonder where would be the next one ?

zbjernak : in fact i didn't bump into the mascot the whole day when i was in the expo. i suppose after the expo, everything will be brought down (i am not sure). yea. it was quite far. but it was the cheapest way to travel. on the way back to kyoto, i slept in most of the journey. reached home around midnight. sunburnt and dehydrated !

mmulibra : we left kyoto at about 7 am. arrived at the expo about 11.30 am (very long bus queue). because of late arrival, most of the tickets for the corporate pavilions were already distributed to early-goers (like your goodself).

Primrose said...

I like the first picture. Fancy them growing grass that way. It's a good way to promote the expo from the air, don't you think. So cute!

Anonymous said...

hello! nanmetta here, still remember me, wish u happy mooncake festival this sunday -18/9 :-))

Patrick Leong said...

primrose : yes, indeed. how are you ? i just came back from short summer break. today (19.09.2005) it is a holiday here in japan.

nanmetta : hi. i hope you see this reply. i lost your email contact. please send email to me : patlcm@lycos.com

Fish Fish said...

haha!! so when did you go to aichi one? Never heard you said before. By the time I realised, your posts are already a long line for me to finish. Good!! No need for me to make any proper report on the Aichi Expo liao. I'll just link it to yours. I'm going to right the bad points of Aichi then. :P I was there since 8.30am, didn't see any of the big ones too. Know how many people the day I went? 17 man nin!!! Siao!!

Patrick Leong said...

fish fish : it wasn't planned. my friends invited me to go with them because they have additional seishun 18 tickets. it was a good experience. although i was sick of the big crowd, but i have learned alot - cultures and fads of other countries.