Japan pavilion at Shanghai Expo to feature pop culture, tradition+

SHANGHAI, April 26 Kyodo -
The Japanese pavilion at the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai will regale visitors
with an extravagant display of Japanese culture both old and new, organizers
said Monday.
The Japan Industry Pavilion created by Japanese companies and local authorities
was unveiled the same day to the Japanese press before the opening of the
exposition on Saturday.
An 18 meter by 10 meter screen at the Japanese complex shows a performance by
all-girl pop group AKB48 as well as Japanese landscape scenes throughout the
four seasons.
Another major draw at the expo will be a free performance by all-male pop group
SMAP, which is popular in China. The five entertainers will sing and dance on
June 13 in an auditorium that can accommodate 18,000 visitors.
The Japanese pavilion's on-screen programming will include scenes from Aomori
Prefecture's Neputa festival with a procession of colorful floats as well as
''anime'' series ''Mobile Suit Gundam.''
The space outside the theater is divided into eight main areas.
In one of them, major bathroom equipment maker Inax Corp. will display toilets
used in pre-modern Japan.
Elsewhere a robot will climb up and down a height of 20 meters, symbolizing the
legendary industriousness of Japanese company workers.
A store will be set up to sell Hello Kitty dolls, which are popular in China.
Osaka-based restaurant chain operator Takoya Dotonbori Kukuru will serve
''takoyaki'' spicy dumplings with octopus and other fillings.
==Kyodo
2010-04-26 23:25:56