Latest news with #Kansai
Khaleej Times
5 days ago
- Business
- Khaleej Times
UAE Pavilion at Expo 2025 welcomes a million visitors in less than two months
The UAE Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai welcomed its one millionth visitor today, marking a major milestone since the Expo began on April 13. The achievement comes in less than two months since the Expo opened, highlighting the Pavilion's powerful storytelling and global appeal. The one millionth visitor, a Japanese construction industry professional from Kobe, was greeted by Shihab AlFaheem, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the UAE to Japan and Commissioner General of the UAE Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka. A special commemorative certificate was presented to the visitor to celebrate the moment and acknowledge the significance of the milestone. "Reaching one million visitors today fills us with immense pride and reaffirms the Pavilion's role as a vibrant platform for fostering cross-cultural dialogue and innovation," said Shihab. "Each visitor who walks through our doors becomes part of the story we are telling. It is a story that reflects the UAE's values, our people and our vision for the future," he added. Multi-sensory journey through UAE's story Since opening, the UAE Pavilion has welcomed a steady stream of visitors drawn to its immersive storytelling and striking design. Built around the theme 'Earth to Ether', the Pavilion offers a multi-sensory journey through the UAE's story, highlighting the people and innovations shaping its future, drawing on heritage to accelerate collective progress for life on Earth and beyond. Taking design inspiration from the cherished date palm tree, the pavilion reimagines 'areesh', traditional vernacular architecture of the UAE. Fusing agricultural date palm waste with Japanese woodworking expertise, the pavilion bonds the two cultures in the spirit of collaboration. Emirati culinary experience Visitors can experience an authentic Emirati culinary experience at the pavilion's restaurant, peruse a curated selection of products by UAE-based creatives at the shop, and enjoy a dynamic range of programs activated in the workshop space. Located in the Empowering Lives zone, near the Japanese Pavilion and Shining Hat exhibition hall, the UAE Pavilion welcomes guests daily between 9am and 9pm until October 13, 2025, when the Expo concludes. The UAE Expo Office serves as a national platform to convene people, ideas, and innovations in service of global progress. Incubated by the Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation and operating under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Office leads the UAE's strategic participation at international expositions. About Expo 2025 Osaka Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai is being held from April 13 to October 13, 2025, under the theme 'Designing Future Society for Our Lives'. The UAE's participation continues its legacy of expo involvement, from its first pavilion in Expo Osaka '70 to hosting Expo 2020 Dubai. The UAE Pavilion, Earth to Ether, is an immersive multisensory journey showcasing how the nation draws on both heritage and cutting-edge technology to address global challenges and create a lasting legacy of impact.
Japan Times
6 days ago
- General
- Japan Times
This charming Shiba enjoys life's simple pleasures
This beautiful Shiba in her golden years is named Charisma, and time with her, as they say of charismatic people, may indeed inspire devotion. Charisma has a quiet charm, rooted in her love of a simple life and simple pleasures. Sweet and friendly, this smiley Shiba lost her home when her elderly owner was hospitalized. She came to ARK as 'quite a chubby girl,' but has since dieted down to a perfect curvy 8 kilograms. Soft toys are one of Charisma's go-to pleasures, and she can still play like a pup. Then there's snoozing in her bed, another favorite pastime. She also enjoys massages and will happily cozy up with you, especially if there's a good facial massage to be had. While she has a taste for life's simple pleasures, Charisma won't hesitate to let you know when something rubs her the wrong way. | Kana Matsutani Though she is a connoisseur of life's simple pleasures, Charisma is also ready to let you know when something rubs her the wrong way. It's a two-way street. Give this girl time to get to know you and you'll get to bask in her affection, day and night. If you are interested in adopting, email ARK at Tokyoark@ or call 050-1557-2763 (English or Japanese) Monday to Saturday (bilingual) for more information. Animal Refuge Kansai (with offices in Kansai and Tokyo) is an NPO founded by U.K. native Elizabeth Oliver. It is dedicated to rescuing and rehoming abandoned animals. All animals are vaccinated, neutered and microchipped. Prospective owners are required to undergo a screening process. Web:
Arab News
27-05-2025
- Business
- Arab News
Saudi pavilion at Osaka Expo wins architectural design award
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia's pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai has won gold in the Cultural Architecture — Interactive and Experiential Spaces category of the New York Architectural Design Awards. The pavilion, which offers visitors an immersive experience and insight into the Kingdom's heritage, was spearheaded by the Saudi Architecture and Design Commission and led by CEO Dr. Sumayah Al-Solaiman and project manager Fatima Al-Doukhi. Also involved in the design were the renowned Foster + Partners. The design highlights the cultural similarities between Saudi Arabia and Japan while focusing on sustainability, employing passive cooling strategies enhanced by strategically placed blocks to facilitate air flow. The pavilion features low-carbon materials, energy-efficient lighting and solar energy technologies. It also includes Braille signage and pathways for visitors with disabilities, making the building accessible for all. Saudi Arabia's pavilion has already attracted over half a million visitors since its launch on April 13. It has also hosted over 175 events, including cultural performances, business events, media and over 400 VIP delegations.
Arab News
27-05-2025
- Business
- Arab News
Saudi Pavilion at Osaka Expo wins New York Architectural Design Awards
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia's Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai was awarded the Gold Prize in the Cultural Architecture – Interactive and Experiential Spaces category by the New York Architectural Design Awards. For the latest updates, follow us on Instagram @ The prize recognizes the pavilion's design and architecture, which offers visitors an immersive experience and insight into Saudi Arabia's heritage. According to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the pavilion was spearheaded by the Saudi Architecture and Design Commission and was led by CEO Dr. Sumayah Al-Solaiman and Project Manager Fatima Al-Doukhi. It was also designed by the renowned global firm Foster + Partners. The design highlights the cultural similarities between the kingdom and Japan, while focusing on sustainability, employing passive cooling strategies enhanced by the strategic placement of structural blocks to facilitate wind movement. The pavilion features low-carbon materials, energy-efficient lighting and solar energy technologies, SPA reported. It also features Braille signage and pathways for visitors with disabilities, making the building accessible and inclusive. Saudi Arabia's pavilion has already attracted over half a million visitors since its launch on April 13. It has also hosted over 175 events, including cultural performances, business events, media and over 400 VIP delegations.
Japan Times
25-05-2025
- Japan Times
Osaka Expo highlights uniqueness of Kansai region
The 2025 Osaka Expo is showcasing not only cutting-edge technologies from around the world but also the uniqueness of different countries and areas, including the host Kansai region. The Kansai Pavilion offers numerous experiences to allow visitors to understand the rich history and culture of the region, according to the Osaka Expo's official guidebook. In contrast, the Osaka Healthcare Pavilion, another Kansai-related pavilion, exhibits futuristic products by local manufacturers. Takeo Mori, secretary-general of the Kansai Pavilion, emphasized the coexistence of diversity and unity particular to the region. "Under the slogan 'Diverse Kansai and One Kansai,' we are all here to help visitors learn how attractive the Kansai region is," he said, noting that local people are enjoying running the pavilion themselves. Local appeal Since the expo opened on April 13, the Kansai Pavilion has been welcoming guests with booths for eight prefectures in the greater Kansai region showcasing the history, regional products, tourism and cultural resources of each area. Among them, Mie Prefecture features its local specialties in several pull-out drawers set up on the walls of its booth, filled with a variety of local items, including a life-sized model of the Japanese giant salamander, which lives in the prefecture's Iga area, and pearls cultured in the Ise-Shima district. Visitors discover Mie products by opening drawers on the walls of the Kansai Pavilion's Mie booth at the Osaka Expo. | Jiji Some displays in the drawers appeal to the senses of visitors, allowing them to smell the scent of sake brewed in the Hokusei area, for example. "Our booth has a concierge to offer guidance to expo visitors on recommended places to travel in Mie," said Kyoka Morikawa of the Mie booth. "We hope people will explore the rich history and culture of Mie at first hand." Noting that some staff at the Mie booth are from other parts of Kansai, Morikawa said that they are there to show guests that "their love for Mie" is as strong as that of people from the prefecture. Although in the same pavilion, the prefectures use their own ways to promote themselves. Fukui Prefecture, which is known as a leading area for dinosaur fossil discoveries, offers the experience of a simulated excavation of dinosaur fossils as well as virtual-reality travel through the rise and fall of the dinosaurs. Meanwhile, Hyogo Prefecture has a theater called the Mirai Bus (Future Bus), which shows "passengers" the past, present and future of the prefecture via a bus ride through imagination. Discovering charms Many locals are among the visitors filling the Kansai Pavilion. The exterior of the Kansai Pavilion at the Osaka Expo, decorated with paper cutouts of signature Kansai landscapes | Jiji Kazumi Yoshimura, 63, a nurse from Kyoto Prefecture, discovered many sites to visit in the region. "By learning about the charms of Kansai at this pavilion, I realized I'd passed many attractive places by car and train without noticing," she said. Junior high school students from Osaka enjoyed the Tokushima Prefecture booth. "We practiced the Awa Odori traditional local dance at the booth, and it was fun," one of the students said with a smile. "We're already looking forward to coming back in this year's summer holidays." For foreign nationals who are less familiar with Kansai, the pavilion serves to help deepen their understanding of the region. Souad El Fenni, a 29-year-old graphic designer from Paris, stayed at the pavilion for three hours, reflecting her strong interest in Japanese culture. "The immersive experiences are mesmerizing, especially a projection mapping on sand at the booth of Tottori Prefecture," known for the Tottori Sand Dunes, she said. Despite the popularity in France of Japanese animated series "Detective Conan," one of the icons used to promote the booth, Fenni did not know its author, Gosho Aoyama, is from Tottori. "From the experience at the pavilion, I found that Tottori is a very interesting place," she added. Tradition of sustainability Although the Kansai Pavilion does not have a permanent shop, visitors can buy souvenirs at the nearby Okoshiyasu Kyonokomichi shop, which introduces Kyoto Prefecture's traditional techniques and flavors, such as lacquerware and tsukemono Japanese pickles. The use of "furoshiki" traditional wrapping cloths is displayed in the Okoshiyasu Kyonokomichi Kyoto souvenir shop at the Osaka Expo. | Jiji The shop not only sells products from the prefecture, one of the most famous tourist spots in Kansai, but also offers customers unused furoshiki traditional wrapping cloths that were donated by Kyoto locals. After shopping, customers can purchase furoshiki for use as reusable bags to carry the souvenirs they bought at the shop. The shop staff's uniforms are made from upcycled kimonos. "People in Kyoto have been upcycling things in their daily lives, so we're eager to introduce a sustainable way of living from Kyoto to expo visitors," Yoshio Oi, assistant manager of the shop, said. Yosuke Honda, a 45-year-old company worker from Osaka, entered the shop with his wife to escape the rain and bought a bottle of sake. "If the expo had not been held in Kansai, I might not have visited the site and learned about this sake," he added. Carlos Castellon, 46, a doctor from Spain, came to the expo as part of a three-week trip across Japan. Castellon and his partner, Leili Huth, a 35-year-old art collector, bought many Kyoto products at the shop, including a pouch made with Nishijin-ori textiles. They enjoyed the staff's "very Japanese hospitality" to teach them how to wrap items with furoshiki. Away from the expo's futuristic image, this year's event aims to allow visitors to feel the strong links between the prefectures of Kansai. "The lively atmosphere of the expo is created by the sense of camaraderie among people in Kansai, as well as the momentum we generate to attract people from all over the world to the region," Mori of the Kansai Pavilion said. "We hope people will see and enjoy Kansai, which is as diverse but cohesive as osechi (traditional Japanese New Year's foods)."
