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SoraNews24
05-05-2025
- SoraNews24
The pavilions and public restrooms of the 2025 Osaka-Kansai World Expo
Lots to see and do and flush! As part of our ongoing coverage of the 2025 Osaka-Kansai World Expo, we're excited to bring you a look at the many wonderful sights at the venue. Let's start with what I know everyone has been dying to see: the restrooms! ▼ This one was built using stones intended for castle construction centuries ago but never used. In addition to normal lavatories at food courts and information centers, the Expo has several high-concept restrooms developed by up-and-coming architects in Japan. The pavilions were rather nice too, so let's take a look at those next. As we saw in the previous article about the 2025 Osaka-Kansai World Expo, it can get pretty busy, and the places you'll find the most people are waiting in front of are the major national pavilions set up inside the Grand Ring. ▼ Japan's was the only national pavilion set up outside of the ring. ▼ It also had a robot roaming around going, 'bloop, bloop, bloop…' If you're planning on going to the Expo, it's highly recommended to decide which national pavilion you want to go inside ahead of time and make a reservation. And if it's one of the more popular pavilions like France, Italy, or the USA, you'd best do it as far in advance as possible. ▼ France ▼ USA ▼ Italy Some pavilions have non-reservation entry, but it either involves only partial access, lineups around two hours long, or both. ▼ Belgium ▼ China ▼ Hungary Some had restaurants, food stalls, or stages out front that anyone could access so at least you could get a taste of culture in a shorter period of time. ▼ Brazil was selling some fine coffee outside. ▼ Thailand put on a Muay Thai show in front of their pavilion. ▼ Australia had a cafe and live music stage in front of theirs. Since I wasn't there as a regular ticket holder, I didn't have access to the reservation system. I also couldn't afford to wait so long in a line while trying to see everything. Honestly though, I think if you're going to choose a major pavilion with a big crowd like this, it really should be a country you already have a strong interest in since they're all basically just exhibits of the nation's culture, products, and achievements. ▼ Pavilions like Austria… ▼ Oman… ▼ and Kuwait made me realize this Expo would make a killer Tony Hawk Pro Skater course. Theme park logic applies here too though, and if you can hang around until about after 6:00 p.m. the lines start to thin out and it's easier to enter some of the major pavilions. Asking around, Germany, Portugal, the Nordic Circle, and Qatar had about 10 to 30-minute non-reservation waits at that point. ▼ Portugal ▼ Nordic Circle ▼ Qatar Some seemed like you could just walk into them freely in the evening, like UAE, Luxembourg, and the Czech Republic. This probably varies quite a bit depending on the day though, so just consider it a matter of luck where you might be able to go in. ▼ UAE ▼ Luxembourg ▼ If you're lucky, you'll get to see Rene, the Czech Republic's counterpart to Myaku-Myaku Another benefit of hanging around after sunset is that many pavilions take on a whole different look at night. ▼ Korea during the day ▼ Korea at night ▼ Spain during the day ▼ Spain at night ▼ Canada during the day ▼ Canada at night If the idea of making reservations and dealing with long lines is not appealing, I still think there are lots of interesting things to see and do aside from the major national pavilions. There are three tiers of pavilions, the large ones that we've seen so far and medium-size ones that have a sort of strip mall layout. Wait times for these are generally much shorter. ▼ Chile, Tunisia, Cambodia, and Algeria And then there are about five or six Commons buildings that house booths hosted by several countries. These were really neat because you could see a lot of diverse culture in small bites and all under one roof. Yemen had a particularly interesting stall that was set up like an authentic marketplace and you could even haggle for items there. When the Expo first opened, the Palestine exhibit was partially empty with a message saying their exhibits were delayed by the military occupation. However, now it appears everything has arrived. This booth makes no reference to the current war and instead serves to remind everyone that Palestine is still, at its heart, a place of natural beauty and culture. Unfortunately, one pavilion that it appears no one will be able to enter is the one for Nepal. Although mostly built, an inability to cover construction costs has left it unfinished and given the nickname, 'The Sagrada Familia of the Expo.' Corporate pavilions were a mixed bag. The Panasonic and Osaka Healthcare ones both looked interesting but the good stuff was reservation only. There was also this thing that I was dying to go inside but couldn't. It's a pile of quivering metallic cubes making a mechanical droning sound, designed by artist Yoichi Ochia and called Null². The Gundam one had a lineup most of the time but it looked manageable. The main attraction is kneeling right outside anyway. There's also another life-sized famous robot statue right across from the Gundam. If I had to pick one must-see pavilion, it would be one made by the comedy and talent management company Yoshimoto Kogyo. When I originally reported on it before the expo I was intrigued, but the real thing was even better than I expected. The space under the big happy face was much like I described before and interesting. It's small, but the lineup is also super fast and only took me three minutes. But the real charm is the stage show they put on in the back. Yoshimoto is known for holding shingeki sketch comedy which is an old-fashioned style that almost harkens back to vaudevillian. Considering the dated style and language barriers, I was skeptical that they could pull it off for an international audience, but they did an amazingly good job. The performances change throughout the run of the Expo, but when I went they did a 20-minute show called 'Nandeyanen' which is a versatile Osakan dialect exclamation with a lot of the same nuances of 'Oh, come on!' or 'What the hell?!' In this play the only dialogue is 'nandeyanen' and members of the audience are also invited to the stage to take part and deliver their own punchline of 'Nandeyanen!' Also, in the evenings they hold a traditional bon odori dance which is very easy and accessible for anyone to just jump in and join. But the twist here is that it also incorporates the quintessential Japanese culture of karaoke, and anyone can take the stage as well to belt out their favorite song for everyone to dance around to. The whole area has a really laid-back atmosphere with people just lying around and taking it easy. In this way, it serves as the perfect antidote to any stress you might get dealing with lines and reservations and I highly recommend it. I mentioned before that I wasn't interested in the Expo at first because there weren't any standout attractions motivating me to go. But after going I realized that was for the best, because any attraction like that would have just been so swarming with people I wouldn't have been able to get in. It ended up being much better and well worth the visit to just check out whatever was around and enjoy my day with some pleasant surprises. Photos ©SoraNews24 ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
Ammon
30-04-2025
- Automotive
- Ammon
Speedboat that flipped midair in 200 mph crash wins race on Arizona lake
Ammon News - A speedboat went airborne and did a complete backward flip while racing at about 200 mph (322kph) before crashing into an Arizona racers inside the boat's covered cabin survived the event, which saw the boat go over 30 feet (9 meters) in the air. They wore harnesses and helmets, and 'were just a little banged up,' according to a social media post on Facebook by the Freedom One Racing team and an account by a race Saturday crash took place on a three quarter-mile course (1.2 kilometer) at an annual speedboat flying boat still managed to cross the finish line and win the contest by registering a top speed of 200.1 mph (322 kph), Speedboat Magazine Publisher Ray Lee said the twin-hull Skater boat is designed to rise up and hydroplane across the surface of the water. Windy conditions and propeller adjustments called trims likely contributed to the boat taking flight, he says it's an inherently dangerous sport, through courses have been shortened from a previous length of 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) that produced speeds in excess of 240 mph (386 kph). Safety precautions include reinforced cockpits with underwater diving One Racing released a video saying its boat operators got out safely and that the vessel was now back on a trailer. The video showed extensive damage to the boat, including splintered for Freedom One Racing did not immediately respond to email and phone messages. The team emphasizes fundraising for Ticknor, president of the company that runs the event, said the boat was participating in a contest to see which vessel could race the course the fastest. He said divers were on hand and responded to the crash within 20 described the relief of seeing both people on board the boat pop open the hatch. 'Oh my gosh, it's just a miracle,' Ticknor said.*AP
ABC News
29-04-2025
- Sport
- ABC News
Footage shows US speedboat soaring into air and crashing into lake at 322kph
A speedboat attempting to break a speed record in the US state of Arizona has spun in the air before crashing back into the water. Footage of the incident from Arizona's Lake Havasu showed the boat zooming off the water's surface and flipping mid-air while travelling at what was said to be a speed of about 322 kilometres per hour. The crash took place at the Desert Storm Shugrue's Shootout annual speedboat race on Saturday, US time. Two racers inside the boat's covered cabin survived the incident in which the boat launched more than 9 metres into the air. According to the Freedom One Racing team and an account by a race witness, the pair wore harnesses and helmets and "were just a little banged up". Freedom One Racing released a video saying its boat operators got out safely and that the vessel was now back on a trailer. The video showed extensive damage to the boat, including splintered fibreglass. Event organiser describes relief at 'miracle' survival The boat still managed to cross the finish line and win the contest by registering a top speed of 322kph, Speedboat Magazine Publisher Ray Lee said. Mr Lee said the twin-hull Skater boat was designed to rise up and hydroplane across the surface of the water, adding that windy conditions and propeller adjustments called trims likely contributed to the boat taking flight. He said it was an inherently dangerous sport, though racecourses had been shortened from a previous length of 1.6 kilometres that produced speeds in excess of 386kph. Safety precautions include reinforced cockpits with underwater diving gear. Representatives for Freedom One Racing did not immediately respond to requests for comment from the AP news agency. Steve Ticknor, president of the company that runs the event, said the boat was participating in a contest to see which vessel could race the course the fastest. He said divers were on hand and responded to the crash within 20 seconds. Mr Ticknor described his relief at seeing both people on board the boat pop open the hatch. "Oh my gosh, it's just a miracle," he said. AP
Indian Express
29-04-2025
- Climate
- Indian Express
Speedboat goes flying in air during record-breaking competition in Arizona lake; chilling video goes viral
A high-speed boating event in Arizona took a dramatic turn when a speedboat travelling at 200 mph lost control, flew into the air, and flipped before crashing upside down into the water. The incident occurred on April 26 during the annual Desert Storm Shootout at Lake Havasu, located around 150 miles south of Las Vegas, USA Today reported. Both racers suffered only minor injuries and are reportedly in good health. A viral video shows the Freedom One Racing boat, a powerful twin-hull Skater model, taking off the surface, twisting mid-air, and somersaulting before slamming down. The chilling moment was captured by the audience. A voice in the video can be heard shouting, 'No, no, no! Oh my God. Oh my God,' while others scream in the background as the crash occurs. Watch here: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Daily Mail (@dailymail) The video amassed an array of reactions, with a user commenting, 'Speed thrills and in most cases kills, lucky they walked away with minor injuries.' Another user commented, 'Notice how the boat hovers temporarily over the water. GTA San Andreas got it right.' 'with that speed falling into the water will feel like concrete,' a third user chimed in. When the accident occurred, the boat was reportedly attempting to break the lake's speed record of 206 mph. Although they fell short, hitting 200.1 mph, it was still fast enough to win the competition. According to Speedboat Magazine publisher Ray Lee, the Freedom One boat crossed the finish line despite the crash and was declared the contest winner based on its recorded top speed. Lee explained that the boat is designed to hydroplane across the water's surface, but windy conditions and trim adjustments, changes to the boat's propeller angle, likely caused it to lift off uncontrollably. 'It's an inherently dangerous sport,' Lee said. He added that safety has improved, with modern boats featuring reinforced cockpits and emergency underwater diving gear. Freedom One Racing later confirmed in a video that the operators exited the boat safely and that the damaged vessel was now back on its trailer. The clip revealed significant damage, including splintered fibreglass from the violent impact, PEOPLE reported.
28-04-2025
- Sport
Speedboat that flipped midair in 200 mph crash wins race on Arizona lake
LAKE HAVASU CITY, Ariz. -- A speedboat went airborne and did a complete backward flip while racing at about 200 mph (322kph) before crashing into an Arizona lake. Two racers inside the boat's covered cabin survived the event, which saw the boat go over 30 feet (9 meters) in the air. They wore harnesses and helmets, and 'were just a little banged up," according to a social media post on Facebook by the Freedom One Racing team and an account by a race witness. The Saturday crash took place on a 3/4-mile course (1.2 kilometer) at an annual speedboat race. The flying boat still managed to cross the finish line and win the contest by registering a top speed of 200.1 mph (322 kph), Speedboat Magazine Publisher Ray Lee said. Lee said the twin-hull Skater boat is designed to rise up and hydroplane across the surface of the water. Windy conditions and propeller adjustments called trims likely contributed to the boat taking flight, he said. Lee says it's an inherently dangerous sport, through courses have been shortened from a previous length of 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) that produced speeds in excess of 240 mph (386 kph). Safety precautions include reinforced cockpits with underwater diving gear. Freedom One Racing released a video saying its boat operators got out safely and that the vessel was now back on a trailer. The video showed extensive damage to the boat, including splintered fiberglass.
