The Mainichi News Quiz: What's with all the plushies at the Baltics' Expo pavilion?
How closely have you been following events in Japan? Try The Mainichi News Quiz to test your news knowledge. Ready?
Why did visitors start bringing plush toys to the Baltic Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai?
A) To celebrate the pavilion's opening day
B) To commemorate a national holiday in Latvia and Lithuania
C) In response to the theft of an official mascot plush toy
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Mainichi
29-05-2025
- The Mainichi
The Mainichi News Quiz Answer for May 29
Why did visitors start bringing plush toys to the Baltic Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai? A) To celebrate the pavilion's opening day B) To commemorate a national holiday in Latvia and Lithuania C) In response to the theft of an official mascot plush toy D) Because pavilion staff requested toy donations for charity Correct Answer: C) In response to the theft of an official mascot plush toy Visitors began donating plush toys and origami versions of the official expo mascot, Myaku-Myaku, after one was stolen from the Baltic Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, in mid-May. Pavilion guide Ieva Miciuliene expressed warm surprise at the generous response from visitors, transforming the pavilion into a popular photo spot with around 90 Myaku-Myaku figures now displayed.
The Mainichi
29-05-2025
- The Mainichi
The Mainichi News Quiz: What's with all the plushies at the Baltics' Expo pavilion?
How closely have you been following events in Japan? Try The Mainichi News Quiz to test your news knowledge. Ready? Why did visitors start bringing plush toys to the Baltic Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai? A) To celebrate the pavilion's opening day B) To commemorate a national holiday in Latvia and Lithuania C) In response to the theft of an official mascot plush toy
The Mainichi
26-05-2025
- The Mainichi
Many Osaka Expo mascot toys donated to Baltic Pavilion after theft
OSAKA -- The Baltic Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai has become a new photo hot spot, with visitors giving the site official expo mascot plush toys and other items after the theft of one from the pavilion in mid-May. About 90 Myaku-Myaku figures are now lined up at a counter at the pavilion, where Latvia and Lithuania are jointly exhibiting. Since the expo's opening, one Myaku-Myaku plush toy had been displayed at the pavilion's counter alongside the pavilion's mushroom-themed mascot, "Barabi-chan," but it suddenly disappeared on May 13. Security cameras revealed that one of two individuals, believed to be women, placed the toy into a bag. Pavilion guide Ieva Miciuliene, 31, recalled, saying, "I thought Japan was a safe place, so I was shocked." After talks on the issue, Lithuanian Ambassador to Japan Aurelijus Zykas announced the incident on X (formerly Twitter) on May 16, making national news and sparking widespread interest. Unexpectedly, from May 17 onward, Myaku-Myaku plush toys began arriving at the pavilion, reaching a total of 87 as of May 23. "Children handed us origami Myaku-Myaku, and one person traveled all the way from Okayama just to deliver a Myaku-Myaku plush toy. I was touched by the kindness of the Japanese people," Miciuliene said with a smile. Now, a large number of Myaku-Myaku plush toys, including ones dressed in the pavilion guide uniform and a handmade crocheted version, surround the Barabi-chan figure, delighting visitors. The situation surrounding the pavilion has changed significantly since the incident, and Miciuliene is amazed at how it has become a "special pavilion." She added, "It has now become a new photo spot. I am filled with gratitude for the heartfelt support from the Japanese people."
