'Expo grandma' completes tour of all Osaka Expo pavilions
A Japanese woman known as "Expo grandma" for visiting World Expositions around the globe has completed her visits to all open pavilions at the ongoing 2025 Osaka Expo.
On Wednesday, the 46th day of the Osaka Expo, Tomiyo Yamada visited her last remaining pavilion, the Netherlands pavilion, where a celebration ceremony was held in her honor.
"I finished with the Netherlands, which has had friendly relations with Japan for a long time," the 76-year-old said with a smile. "It's important not only to enter pavilions, but also to thoroughly digest (the exhibits) until the end," she said.
The Netherlands pavilion presented her with commemorative gifts including a stuffed doll of the Dutch character Miffy.
Yamada aims to visit the Osaka Expo every day until it closes. "I want to communicate with the staff (of pavilions) and feel the current situations of (exhibiting countries)," she said.
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