Can Expo rekindle Japan's spark?
Visitors posing at the site of Osaka's 1970 World Expo, now a park, in Osaka, Japan. This year's Expo is stirring memories of the earlier exhibition, when postwar Japan was taking off and possibilities were limitless. — Hiroko Masuike/The New York Times
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The Star
11 hours ago
- The Star
Bacteria halts World Expo water shows
Spectacular sight: Visitors watching a water and light display during a media preview day for the 2025 Osaka Expo in Osaka, four days before the event opened to the public, in this file photo. — AFP The discovery of high levels of bacteria has led the World Expo in Osaka to suspend daily water shows and use of a shallow play pool, organisers said. It comes after visitors also complained that swarms of tiny flying insects had invaded the vast waterfront site where Expo 2025 runs until mid-October. Nearly six million people have visited exhibits from more than 160 countries, regions and organisations since it opened in April. Although polls showed that public enthusiasm for the Expo was lukewarm before its opening, organisers say crowds have been growing, especially in recent weeks. But concerns were raised over environmental conditions at the reclaimed island site in Osaka Bay, which was once a landfill. Organisers said on Thursday that high levels of legionella bacteria had forced them to close an area with shallow water where visitors, including children, could cool off. That followed a statement on Wednesday saying daily fountain shows with music and lights at an artificial pond had been suspended for the same reason. They said they were cleaning the affected areas, adding that a decision was due yesterday on whether the shows could resume. Days before the Expo opened, a level of methane gas high enough to potentially ignite a fire was detected at the site. More recently, organisers sprayed insecticide to deter swarms of non-biting midges bothering guests. Also known as a World's Fair, the Expo phenomenon, which brought the Eiffel Tower to Paris, began with London's 1851 Crystal Palace exhibition. It is now held every five years in different global locations. — AFP
Barnama
a day ago
- Barnama
Sharing Four Seasons And Bonds Of Tohoku With World: "Tohoku Four Seasons & Tohoku Kizuna Festival" At Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan
SENDAI, Japan, June 6 (Bernama) -- The six Tohoku prefectures, Tohoku Tourism Promotion Organization, and Tohoku Kizuna Festival Executive Committee will hold the "Tohoku Four Seasons & Tohoku Kizuna Festival" at the 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Expo. This promotional event expresses the region's gratitude to the world for the support received after the 2011 earthquake, and allows visitors to experience its nature, culture, cuisine, technology, and people. At the venue, the Tohoku Kizuna Festival will deliver the various charms of Tohoku to the world through parades, traditional performing arts, tourism VR experiences, traditional craft workshops, and more. Images:
New Straits Times
3 days ago
- New Straits Times
#SHOWBIZ: J-pop Queen Ayumi Hamasaki denies Elon Musk fathered her child
TOKYO: J-pop superstar Ayumi Hamasaki has vehemently denied rumours that Elon Musk is the father of her children, following widespread speculation online. The rumours gained traction after reports emerged of Musk allegedly claiming to have fathered a child with an unnamed J-pop star, AsiaOne reported. Netizens had quickly turned their attention to Hamasaki, 46, who has famously kept the paternity of her two children private. However, in a series of Instagram Stories posted on Monday, the 'Queen of J-pop' directly addressed and dismissed the claims. "My child's father is not Elon Musk," Hamasaki wrote. She acknowledged why some might have jumped to conclusions, even recounting her mother's amused reaction: "My mother laughed at me and said, 'The news seems like it's about Ayu-chan'." Hamasaki added that she would have thought the same herself. Emphasising the seriousness of the false information, she said, "I'll put my image aside and I'll deny this properly because it would be no good if my child were to Google it someday." She also noted that she had been inundated with a "storm" of amused messages from friends reacting to her public denial. The speculation surrounding Musk, 53, stemmed from a report by The New York Times, which alleged that the businessman had told his ex-girlfriend, author Ashley St Clair, that he was the father of a child with an unnamed J-pop star. The report also claimed Musk expressed a willingness to donate sperm to anyone for a baby. Neither Musk nor St Clair responded to People magazine's requests for comment on the matter. Musk is known to have 14 children, including a son with St Clair.
