Sakura Trees Enchant Visitors at Japan Pavilion During Esports World Cup
Sakura trees, known for their delicate pink blossoms that bloom in spring, are deeply embedded in Japanese culture. Beyond their beauty, they hold culinary value: salted cherry blossoms are brewed into sakura tea—traditionally served to offer good wishes—and their leaves are used to wrap sakura mochi, a fragrant and flavorful rice cake enjoyed during seasonal celebrations.
The installation provided guests with a chance to experience both the visual elegance and the emotional depth of one of Japan's most beloved natural and cultural treasures.
Related Topics:
Sakura Garden: A Must Visit Destination in Jeddah
Gen.G Esports Secures 'League of Legends' Title at Esports World Cup 2025
Russian Team Spirit Clinches Dota 2 Title at 2025 Esports World Cup\
Esports World Cup 2025: Prince Faisal Reveals Tournament's Grand Vision
Short link :
Post Views: 3 Related Stories
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Leaders
18 hours ago
- Leaders
Tar Festival Honors Saudi Musical Heritage during EWC 2025
A new music festival is coming to Saudi Arabia as Riyadh will host the Tar Festival to celebrate its rich musical heritage, reported the Saudi Press Agency (SPA). The Saudi Music Commission announced that the inaugural edition of the Tar Festival will take place from August 20-23, 2025, at the Abu Bakr Salem Theater in Boulevard City, Riyadh. Coinciding with the Esports World Cup 2025 (EWC 2025), the festival aims to revive Saudi Arabia's musical heritage, spotlighting the Tar instrument as a cultural element of the national music identity. In the light of this, the Tar Festival will feature diverse artistic events and activities, including zones inspired by traditional musical instrument markets, interactive activities, and photo booths, all designed to enrich the visitor's experience. The Tar Festival offers an artistic showcase and a unique cultural event, fostering local talent by providing a platform for interaction with diverse audiences in an authentic and creative setting. Moreover, the festival further cements Riyadh's status as a prestigious hub for major cultural festivals. The Tar Festival also aligns with the Saudi Music Commission's commitment to promoting the Kingdom's musical culture, enhance its global presence, and establish it in the modern lifestyle. Furthermore, it comes in line with the Music Commission's efforts to present inspiring artistic events and experiences that support talent while preserving local heritage and showcasing it to audiences inside Saudi Arabia and international visitors. Short link : Post Views: 20
Saudi Gazette
a day ago
- Saudi Gazette
A cartoon skull becomes symbol of defiance in Indonesia
SINGAPORE — In the popular Japanese anime One Piece, black flags bearing a skull with a straw hat are carried by a rowdy crew of pirates who have made it their mission to challenge a draconian regime and fight for freedom. But in July, these emblems started popping up across Indonesia – along doorways, on the backs of cars, and painted on walls. For many, they were a response to Indonesian leader Prabowo Subianto's call for Indonesians to fly their national red and white flag ahead of the country's Independence Day on 17 August. Instead, some Indonesians chose to raise these pirate flags, known as Jolly Rogers, as a symbol of their discontent, with many criticising what they say is an increasingly centralised government led by Prabowo. But the movement has not been well received by all. Earlier last week, the country's Deputy House Speaker criticised the flag displays, calling it an "attempt to divide the nation". Another lawmaker even suggested it could be treason. One Piece, first published in 1997 as a manga by Eiichiro Oda, is one of the most popular franchises in the world. The manga has sold more than 520 million copies while the TV series has run for more than 1,100 series has a large and dedicated fan base in Indonesia, where Japanese anime is well the same way the pirates in the series, led by their leader Monkey D Luffy, raise the Jolly Rogers as a symbol of freedom against their government, some Indonesian residents say raising the flag is a "symbol that we love this country, but don't completely agree with its policies".The anime reflects the injustice and inequality that Indonesians experience, said Ali Maulana, a resident of Jayapura city in the Papua province."Even though this country is officially independent, many of us have not truly experienced that freedom in our daily lives," he told BBC him and many others, the decision to fly the flag was a response to a speech given by President Prabowo in late July."Raise the red and white flag wherever you are. Red represents the blood shed for our independence, white represents the purity of our souls," Prabowo had Christanto, who owns the Wik Wiki apparel store in Central Java, said he has received "thousands of orders" for the flags following the president's speech."Since the end of July, I received hundreds of orders a day from all over Indonesia," Dendi told news outlet Jakarta top officials however, have been less than House Speaker Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, widely regarded as Prabowo's right-hand man, described the movement as "a coordinated attempt to divide the nation"."We must collectively resist such actions," he had said earlier last lawmaker from the centre-right Golkar Party, Firman Soebagyo, suggested that displaying these flags could even amount to on Tuesday, the country's state secretary minister Prasetyo Hadi said the president himself had "no objection" to the flags as a form of "creative expression"."However, it should not be used to challenge or diminish the significance of the red and white flag. The two should not be placed side by side in a way that invites comparison or conflict," his office said in a Indonesia, there are no laws that restrict the display of fictional flags, but the law stipulates that if they are flown alongside the red-and-white national flags, the country's flag must always be hoisted in the capital Jakarta have said they are "monitoring the use of non-national flags and symbols that don't align with the spirit of nationalism, including pirate or fictional-themed flags".Indonesia's hard-won democracy, the third largest in the world, has faced growing challenges in recent popular former leader Joko Widodo rose to power as a promising democrat, but his one-of-us image lost some of its sheen towards the end of his second term, when he revived the death penalty for drug traffickers and appointed Prabowo, a controversial ex-general, as his defence frustration has intensified since Prabowo took over as president last October. In February, thousands took to the streets to protest budget cuts and legislative changes that would allow the military to take a bigger role in government."The red-and-white flags are too sacred for us to raise now," said one user on Instagram, in a post that has been widely while some lawmakers have criticised the display of the Jolly Rogers, others say they accept it as a form of public are a way for people to "convey their expectations", said Deputy Home Affairs Minister Bima Arya Sugiarto. "Such a form of expression is a natural phenomenon in a democracy.""This kind of symbolic action is better than street protests that could turn violent," said Deddy Yevri Sitorus from the opposition Democratic Party of of One Piece's popularity among Indonesians of all ages, the flags have offered a way to "raise awareness around political issues in a different and unique way", said Dominique Nicky Fahrizal, a researcher at the Center for Strategic and International for some Indonesians, the government's mixed response to the Jolly Roger underscores the symbol's power."By treating a cartoon flag as a threat to national security, they have inadvertently validated the entire premise of the protest," Farhan Rizqullah wrote on the Medium publishing platform."They have shown that the dream of Monkey D Luffy, the simple, unwavering desire to be free, is the one thing they truly fear." — BBC
Arab News
3 days ago
- Arab News
Bigo Live and MLBB drive next chapter of esports in Kingdom
Saudi Arabia is fast becoming a powerhouse in global gaming. The Esports World Cup 2025 featuring a record-breaking $70 million prize pool and 24 official game titles underscores this shift from niche to mainstream gaming prominence. Under Vision 2030 and the National Gaming and Esports Strategy, the Kingdom's gaming and esports sector is expected to contribute $13.3 billion to GDP and generate more than 39,000 jobs by 2030. With 21 million gamers across the country and $1.1 billion in annual revenue, the groundwork for a thriving, sustainable digital economy is already taking shape. But sustaining this growth requires more than investment and infrastructure. It requires building meaningful ecosystems where creators, communities, and intellectual property thrive together. That's the shared focus of Bigo Live and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, who are working together to define the next chapter of esports in the region. Bigo Live and MLBB have partnered on multiple successful events, including livestreaming the M6 World Championship and the MPL MENA 2025. The M6 event drew more than 4.13 million peak viewers globally, with an average of 709,000 viewers across 120 hours of live broadcast, making it one of MLBB's most-watched tournaments to date. The collaboration is now evolving into something more ambitious: a blueprint for hybrid esports experiences. These new formats combine physical and virtual elements, such as pro-player and streamer crossover leagues, offline community events, and gamified, storyline-driven tournaments designed to engage audiences across platforms and locations. Bigo Live has reported a 19.05 percent month-on-month increase in new gaming users in MENA, indicating strong regional resonance with its esports programming. Crucially, Bigo Live's esports strategy is anchored in a framework of creator enablement: supporting streamers with tools, infrastructure, and monetization options that make esports a sustainable path. Its three-tier approach (Support, Belonging, and Appreciation) aligns with Vision 2030's goals of digital transformation and cultural enrichment.
