Latest news with #PasonaGroup
Japan Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Japan Times
Pasona to open resort on Awaji Island
Major staffing agency Pasona Group will open an accommodation facility on Awaji Island in Hyogo Prefecture on Aug. 1 to offer agricultural experiences. The opening ceremony for Hatake no Resort Sansan Villa was held on Wednesday. The facility has 11 separate villas, each with a field where guests can participate in seasonal farming activities, such as sowing and harvesting. Made with natural materials, the buildings were designed by nine architects, including Sosuke Fujimoto, who designed the Grand Ring, the huge wooden structure that is a symbol of the 2025 World Exposition in Osaka. Pasona Group expects the resort, its first accommodation facility offering farming experiences, to attract 15,000 visitors by the end of fiscal 2028. The accommodation fees start from ¥121,000 for an overnight stay. "In the future, we will consider offering not only one-night stays, but also longer stays, including a monthlong option," a Pasona Group official said. "The concept is to allow people to experience agriculture such as harvesting fresh vegetables while staying comfortably," said Kosuke Tanaka, president of Pasona Agri-partners, the operator of the facility. Pasona Group has relocated some of its headquarters functions from Tokyo to Awaji Island, developing leisure, restaurant and other facilities there.
3 days ago
- Business
Pasona to Open Agritourism Resort on Awaji Island
News from Japan Economy Jul 17, 2025 18:10 (JST) Awaji, Hyogo Pref., July 17 (Jiji Press)--Major Japanese staffing agency Pasona Group Inc. will open an accommodation facility on Awaji Island in the western prefecture of Hyogo on Aug. 1 to offer agricultural experiences. The opening ceremony for "Hatake no Resort Sansan Villa" was held on Wednesday. The facility has 11 separate villas, each with a field where guests can participate in seasonal farming activities, such as sowing and harvesting. Made with natural materials, the buildings were designed by nine architects, including Sosuke Fujimoto, who designed the Grand Ring, the huge wooden structure that is a symbol of the 2025 World Exposition in the western city of Osaka. Pasona Group expects the resort, its first accommodation facility offering farming experiences, to attract 15,000 visitors by the end of fiscal 2028. The accommodation fees start from 121,000 yen for an overnight stay. "In the future, we will consider offering not only one-night stays, but also longer stays, including a monthlong option," a Pasona Group official said. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
Express Tribune
14-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
World Expo opens in Japan in rocky times
World Expo opened on Sunday with 160 countries and regions showcasing their technology, culture and food, with host Japan hoping to provide the world with some much-needed hope. Highlights at the show in Osaka until mid-October include a Mars meteorite, a beating artificial heart grown from stem cells and Hello Kitty figures in algae form. Surrounding most of the pavilions — a chance for architects' fancies to run wild — is the world's largest wooden structure, the "Grand Ring". Its creator Sou Fujimoto told AFP that Expo is a "precious opportunity where so many different cultures... and countries come together in one place to create diversity and unity". Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba also said the event would help bring a sense of unity in a "divided society." "Through Expo, we would like to restore a sense of unity in the world once again," Ishiba told reporters. But with conflicts raging and US President Donald Trump's tariffs causing economic turmoil, that may be optimistic. "Not for sale" states a yellow and blue sign over Ukraine's booth — echoing defiant comments from leader Volodymyr Zelensky about the war with Russia, which is absent at Expo 2025. "We want the world to know more about our resilience. We are the ones who create, not the ones who destroys," Tatiana Berezhna, deputy minister of economy of Ukraine, told AFP. The US building has the theme "America the Beautiful", but with no mention of Trump's trade policies. Instead it focuses on the country's landscapes, AI tech and space, including a simulated rocket launch where dry-ice blasters appear to ignite above visitors' heads. The nearby Chinese pavilion, evoking a calligraphy scroll, focuses on green technology and lunar samples brought by the Chang'e-5 and Chang'e-6 probes. After enjoying the view and sea breeze atop the Grand Ring's "skywalk", hungry visitors can stop by the world's longest sushi conveyor belt or meet many-eyed Expo 2025 mascot Myaku-Myaku. Among the more bizarre displays are 32 sculptures of Hello Kitty dressed as different types of algae — to symbolise the plant's many uses -- and a "human washing machine" that shows imagery based on the bather's heart rate. Elsewhere are demonstrations of drone-like flying vehicles, and the tiny artificial heart made from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) shown in public for the first time. "It has an actual pulse," Byron Russel of Pasona Group, which runs the exhibit, told AFP. Themes of sustainability run through the Expo, including at the bauble-like Swiss pavilion, which aims to have the smallest ecological footprint. But Expos have been criticised for their temporary nature, and after October Osaka's man-made island will be cleared to make way for a casino resort. According to Japanese media, only 12.5 percent of the Grand Ring will be reused. Expo is also known as a World's Fair, and the phenomenon, which brought the Eiffel Tower to Paris, began with London's 1851 Crystal Palace exhibition and is held every five years. The 2020 edition in Dubai was postponed by the Covid-19 pandemic, so Osaka Expo organisers say it will "restore much-needed connections" and "provide the opportunity to create a better tomorrow".
Jordan Times
13-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Jordan Times
World Expo opens in Japan in rocky times
A general view shows the "Myaku-Myaku", the mascot of the 2025 Osaka Expo as the Gundam pavilion is seen behind on the first day of the six-month 2025 Osaka Expo in the city of Osaka on April 13, 2025 (AFP photo) OSAKA, Japan — World Expo opened on Sunday with 160 countries and regions showcasing their technology, culture and food, with host Japan hoping to provide the world with some much-needed hope. Highlights at the show in Osaka until mid-October include a Mars meteorite, a beating artificial heart grown from stem cells and Hello Kitty figures in algae form. Surrounding most of the pavilions -- a chance for architects' fancies to run wild -- is the world's largest wooden structure, the "Grand Ring". Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said the event would help bring a sense of unity in a "divided society". But with conflicts raging and US President Donald Trump's tariffs causing economic turmoil, that may be optimistic. "Not for sale" states a yellow and blue sign over Ukraine's booth, which contains objects used in the restoration of power facilities damaged by the Russian invasion. Russia was absent from the Expo. "We are the ones who create, not the ones who destroy," Tatiana Berezhna, deputy minister of economy of Ukraine, told AFP. Yahel Vilan, head of Israel's pavilion -- there is also a Palestinian one -- featuring a stone from the Western Wall in occupied east Jerusalem, told AFP that "we came with a message of peace". The US building has the theme "America the Beautiful", focusing not on politics but landscapes, AI and space. The nearby Chinese pavilion, evoking a calligraphy scroll, focuses on green technology and features lunar samples brought by the country's Moon probes. France's pavilion is enveloped in immense white drapes and is inspired by the Japanese legend of "Akai Ito", an invisible red thread representing shared values. Human washing machine After enjoying the view atop the Grand Ring's "skywalk", hungry visitors can stop by the world's longest sushi conveyor belt or meet many-eyed Expo 2025 mascot Myaku-Myaku. Among the more bizarre displays are 32 sculptures of Hello Kitty dressed as different types of algae -- to symbolise the plant's many uses -- and a "human washing machine". Elsewhere are demonstrations of drone-like flying vehicles, and the tiny artificial heart made from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) shown in public for the first time. "It has an actual pulse," Byron Russel of Pasona Group, which runs the exhibit, told AFP. Themes of sustainability run through the Expo, including at the bauble-like Swiss pavilion, which aims to have the smallest ecological footprint. But Expos have been criticised for their temporary nature, and after October Osaka's man-made island will be cleared to make way for a casino resort. According to Japanese media, only 12.5 per cent of the Grand Ring will be reused. Slow ticket sales Expo is also known as a World's Fair, and the phenomenon, which brought the Eiffel Tower to Paris, began with London's 1851 Crystal Palace exhibition and is held every five years. Osaka last hosted the Expo in 1970 when Japan was booming and its technology the envy of the world. It attracted 64 million people, a record until Shanghai in 2010. But 55 years on, Japan is less of a trendsetter and opinion polls show low levels of enthusiasm among the public for the Expo, particularly after it went 27 percent over budget. So far 8.7 million advance tickets have been shifted, below the pre-sales target of 14 million. Japan is also experiencing a record tourism boom, meaning accommodation in Osaka -- near hotspot Kyoto -- is often fully booked with prices sky-high. But early visitors at the venue voiced their excitement despite persistent rain on day one. Local resident Emiko Sakamoto, who also visited the Expo in 1970, was determined to return to the site repeatedly to see all the pavilions. "I think the Expo is meaningful" in this chaotic time, she told AFP. "People will think about peace after visiting the venue."
Korea Herald
13-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
World Expo opens in Japan's Osaka
OSAKA, Japan (AFP) — World Expo opened on Sunday with 160 countries and regions showcasing their technology, culture and food, with host Japan hoping to provide the world with some much-needed hope. Highlights at the show in Osaka until mid-October include a Mars meteorite, a beating artificial heart grown from stem cells and Hello Kitty figures in algae form. Surrounding most of the pavilions — a chance for architects' fancies to run wild — is the world's largest wooden structure, the "Grand Ring." Its creator Sou Fujimoto told Agence France-Presse that the Expo is a "really beautiful, precious opportunity where so many different cultures ... and countries come together in one place to create diversity and unity." But with conflicts raging and US President Donald Trump's tariffs causing economic turmoil, that may be optimistic. "Not for sale" states a yellow and blue sign over Ukraine's booth — echoing defiant comments from leader Volodymyr Zelensky about the war with Russia, which is absent at Expo 2025. Yahel Vilan, head of Israel's equally compact pavilion — there is also a Palestinian one — featuring a stone from Jerusalem's Western Wall, said that "we came with a message of peace." The US building has the theme "America the Beautiful," but with no mention of Trump's trade policies. Instead it focuses on the country's landscapes, AI tech and space, including a simulated rocket launch where dry-ice blasters appear to ignite above visitors' heads. The nearby Chinese pavilion, evoking a calligraphy scroll, focuses on green technology and lunar samples brought by the Chang'e-5 and Chang'e-6 probes. Human washing machine After enjoying the view and sea breeze atop the Grand Ring's "skywalk," hungry visitors can stop by the world's longest sushi conveyor belt or meet many-eyed Expo 2025 mascot Myaku-Myaku. Among the more bizarre displays are 32 sculptures of Hello Kitty dressed as different types of algae — to symbolize the plant's many uses — and a "human washing machine" that shows imagery based on the bather's heart rate. Elsewhere are demonstrations of drone-like flying vehicles, and the tiny artificial heart made from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) shown in public for the first time. "It has an actual pulse," Byron Russel of Pasona Group, which runs the exhibit, told AFP. Themes of sustainability run through the Expo, including at the bauble-like Swiss pavilion, which aims to have the smallest ecological footprint. But Expos have been criticized for their temporary nature, and after October Osaka's man-made island will be cleared to make way for a casino resort. According to Japanese media, only 12.5 percent of the Grand Ring will be reused. Slow ticket sales Expo is also known as a World's Fair, and the phenomenon, which brought the Eiffel Tower to Paris, began with London's 1851 Crystal Palace exhibition and is held every five years. The 2020 edition in Dubai was postponed by the Covid-19 pandemic, so Osaka Expo organizers say it will "restore much-needed connections" and "provide the opportunity to create a better tomorrow." Osaka last hosted the Expo in 1970 when Japan was booming and its technology the envy of the world. It attracted 64 million people, a record until Shanghai in 2010. But 55 years on Japan is less of a trendsetter and opinion polls show low levels of enthusiasm among the public for the Expo, particularly after it went 27 percent over budget. So far 8.7 million advance tickets have been shifted, below the pre-sales target of 14 million. Japan is also experiencing a record tourism boom, meaning accommodation in Osaka — near hotspot Kyoto — is often fully booked with prices sky-high. Local resident Hirofumi Hayashi, 65, told AFP he hoped to visit the Expo "if my schedule allows." "To be honest, I don't think it's worth spending so much money on. There are many other things that deserve to be prioritized," he said.
