Latest news with #Osaka-KansaiExpo
Yomiuri Shimbun
3 days ago
- Business
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Himeji Castle Forms Sister Castle Partnership with Austria's Schoenbrunn Palace; Both UNESCO World Heritage Sites
The Yomiuri Shimbun Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen, center, and Himeji Mayor Hideyasu Kiyomoto, right, at the signing ceremony for the sister castle partnership between Himeji Castle and Schoenbrunn Palace on May 24 in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture. HIMEJI, Hyogo — A sister castle partnership has been established between Himeji Castle in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture, and Schoenbrunn Palace in Vienna. Schoenbrunn Palace is now the fourth sister castle of Himeji Castle. A ceremonial signing for the sister castle partnership was held at Himeji Castle with Himeji Mayor Hideyasu Kiyomoto and Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen in attendance on May 24. Van der Bellen's visit to Japan coincided with Austria's National Day event at the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo. Both parties agreed to proactively promote tourism exchanges between the city and Austria. Schoenbrunn Palace is known for hosting the Congress of Vienna in 1815 after the Napoleonic Wars. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. Courtesy of Himeji city government Schoenbrunn Palace in Vienna Last spring, when Austrian government officials visited Himeji Castle, also a World Heritage Site, they proposed the idea of a partnership to Himeji officials. A basic agreement was signed in November. 'I'm confident that the partnership will help promote exchanges in a variety of fields and strengthen the ties between Japan and Austria,' Kiyomoto said. Austrian President Van der Bellen expressed his hope to further strengthen the friendship between the two countries.
Yomiuri Shimbun
3 days ago
- Business
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Ishiba Using Expo as Opportunity to Meet World Leaders, Improve Diplomacy
The Yomiuri Shimbun Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, right, shakes hands with Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith before their meeting on Thursday at the Prime Minister's Office. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is stepping up his 'Expo diplomacy' with world leaders visiting Japan for the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo. The United States' tariff policy has escalated conflict between Washington and Beijing, tasking Japan with further cooperation with the Global South. Ishiba is taking advantage of Japan being the host of the Expo – which is bringing more than 100 foreign dignitaries to the country – with an aim of enhancing the nation's presence and building personal trust. Ties with developing countries 'We want to place greater emphasis on relations with members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to realize a free and open Indo-Pacific based on the rule of law,' Ishiba told Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith on Thursday. The United States has imposed 48% tariffs on Laos. In the talks, Ishiba highlighted Japan's contribution to Laos' economic growth. On the same day, Ishiba also met with the leaders of Tanzania and Kuwait at the Prime Minister's Office. During his meeting with Kuwait's Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khalid Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, Ishiba touched on an episode when he was Defense Agency director general, in which Kuwait provided the Self-Defense Forces with a base of operations in Iraq. Ishiba then said Japan would like to strengthen the bilateral relationship. As of Thursday, Ishiba had met with 17 foreign dignitaries since the Expo opened in April. Up until the closing day in October, the prime minister will meet world leaders who visit Japan for their National Day at the Expo. National Days are a showcase of each country's culture and are held almost daily. 'The Expo is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to deepen strategic ties with small and medium-sized countries that we have limited chances to visit diplomatically,' a senior Foreign Ministry official said. Gain experience The Expo is a valuable opportunity for the prime minister to gain diplomatic experience too, after being criticized for inexperienced conduct such as greeting others with a two-handed handshake when he first took office. According to those close to Ishiba, he checks out the Foreign Affairs magazine from the National Diet Library and has been studying late into the night to familiarize himself with the situations in various countries. Ishiba reportedly told those around him: 'The Expo is a good opportunity. We can convey Japan's importance to countries sandwiched between the United States and China.' He seems to grow more confident with each day of meetings. During a meeting Wednesday with Montenegrin Prime Minister Milojko Spajic, who studied in Japan, the two leaders spoke in Japanese without an interpreter, and Ishiba created a relaxed mood by calling the meeting 'historic.' Ishiba is expecting U.S. President Donald Trump's visit on July 19, which coincides with the Expo's U.S. National Day. However, there is no clear prospect of this happening. Ishiba's diplomatic skills will be put to the test in the current Japan-U.S. tariff negotiations in which leaders may be required to come up with a breakthrough at some point in June.
SoraNews24
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- SoraNews24
Attendees to Expo 2025 hit record numbers despite record numbers of bugs
Maybe everyone's coming to see the bugs? As the days go by, the clouds of tiny, harmless flies gradually expand over the venue of the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo. Although they've become a thorn in the side of organizers and the Osaka government, they don't seem to be having an adverse effect on the number of people showing up. In fact, attendance has never been better! On 23 May, a new single-day attendance record was set at 139,000 regular visitors, surpassing even the number of people who attended on opening day and helping to push the total number of visitors over four million. This also brings the Expo closer to the 150,000 guests per day needed to achieve its goal of 28.2 million over the course of the whole event. Additional discounts and a special early gate are said to have helped contribute to the increased numbers. However, it's hard not to wonder if this insect phenomenon might actually be attracting people too. When you think about it, getting some pictures and video of it is great for engagement on social media. ▼ TV shows sure do like to get shots of them. The possibility that people are coming to see the chironomids is not a chance the Osaka government is willing to embrace, though. In a press conference on 27 May, Osaka Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura said that efforts to curb the spread of these insects are going full speed ahead. He also reminded everyone that even though these insects look like little mosquitoes they have no ability to bite people and pose no threat, aside from the piles of their dead bodies possibly triggering allergies. He also said that Earth Chemical, a company with whom the Osaka Prefectural government has a partnership agreement, is already on the scene and has set up a Chironomid Countermeasure HQ along with the Expo Association to deal with the gentle but creepy bugs. Yoshimura added: 'I think this is a very difficult issue. It is not something that can be easily overcome, but we will take all possible measures while incorporating the knowledge of experts.' Speaking of experts, Professor Yuji Ikeya of the University of Tokyo's pharmaceutical sciences department appeared on TV and bluntly said, 'I think they should just give up.' He explained that the larvae of the chironomids are quite resilient and at their current numbers are probably impossible to eradicate by human means. The larvae's natural predators are fish, but since the Expo's large pond of water has no fish, their numbers are free to flourish. ▼ The massive fountain shows with projection mapping in the water area probably make it hard to put fish in there. Instead, Ikeya suggests the Expo embraces the flies as a part of their theme of 'Designing a Future Society for Our Lives' since they're a great example of life triumphing. He adds they should even make a little chironomid mascot to complement Myaku-Myaku. I suspect he was joking about a lot of that, but he does have a point that these swarms of insects exemplify life at its purest and could be seen as an exhibit all their own. It's just too bad it couldn't have been a population explosion of red pandas, otters, or some other more socially embraced creature. Source: YTV News NNN, MBS News, Nikkan Sports Photos ©SoraNews24 ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
Japan Forward
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Japan Forward
Rare Bonsai Collection Shines at Osaka Expo Grounds
このページを 日本語 で読む From May 19 to 22, the Expo 2025 Japanese Bonsai and Suiseki Exhibition brought together a stunning array of bonsai at the Osaka-Kansai Expo site. Roughly 130 prized specimens from across Japan were on display. Among them was Yoroikake no Matsu (Armor-Hanging Pine), a black pine once treasured by Tokugawa Yoshinobu. Yoshinobu was the 15th and final shogun of the Edo period. As bonsai garners growing interest overseas, the exhibit drew a large number of international visitors. A Global Revival Standing approximately 120 centimeters tall, Yoroikake no Matsu was the tallest tree in the collection. It captivated audiences with its powerful presence. According to the exhibition's organizing committee, global interest in bonsai surged following its appearance at Expo '70 in Osaka. This year, a few of those same bonsai made a rare return to public display. A bonsai shown at Expo '70 returns to the spotlight. May 19, Yumeshima, Konohana Ward, Osaka (©Sankei by Kan Emori) In recent years, bonsai has seen a surge in popularity among young people around the world. In 2023, Japan's bonsai exports reached ¥920 million JPY (approximately $6.3 million USD, nearly double the figure from 2019. Bo Pett, 29, who traveled from Australia to visit the exhibition, said his attraction to bonsai began through Japanese pop culture. He described bonsai as a fascinating and powerful cultural tradition, and mentioned that he had bought a pot and pruning tools with plans to try it at home. A bonsai featured during Game 1 of the 92nd Hulic Cup Kisei shogi title match in 2021 was also on display. May 19, Yumeshima, Konohana Ward, Osaka (©Sankei by Kan Emori) "We hope this exhibition helps spread the appeal of bonsai culture," said Hiroki Miura, chair of the exhibition committee. Author: Asuka Ishibashi, The Sankei Shimbun Asuka Ishibashi, bonsai, Oaka Expo, Expo 70, Tokugawa Yoshinobu, このページを 日本語 で読む
Yomiuri Shimbun
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yomiuri Shimbun
2025 Expo Osaka: Kimono Sashes Damaged in Noto Reborn as Art; Joint Project Depicts Phoenix, Dragon with Ishikawa Materials
The Yomiuri Shimbun An object created by collecting kimono sashes that could no longer be stored after the disasters including the Noto Peninsula Earthquake, on display in Osaka, on Monday. 'Horyu,' an art piece created by collecting kimono sashes damaged in the Noto Peninsula Earthquake and Okunoto torrential rains last year, was unveiled in front of the Expo Hall Shining Hat at the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo on Monday. Standing 3 meters high and 1.8 meters wide, it depicts the wings of a phoenix and the belly of a dragon. Soil and wood from a collapsed house in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, were placed inside to express the artist's wish to overcome hardship and move toward reconstruction. The project was a collaborative effort organized in part by stage director Hiroaki Omote, who also directed the kagura performance on the day, and Tsutomu Shinohara, president of a Kanazawa-based non-profit organization, the Japan kimono culture promotion association. Fifty sashes were used from approximately 5,500 kimonos and sashes donated by quake victims. Omote oversaw design, and Minoru Ishikawa, a Kagawa Prefectural traditional craftsman, sewed the cut sashes. The exhibit was on display only on Monday. Visitors stopped to take pictures while admiring the craftwork. 'The desire that everyone wants to revitalize Noto together pours out of the work,' said Yoshie Benno, 75, from Neyagawa, Osaka Prefecture.
