The Japan Pavilion at the world exposition to be held in Dubai from next month will utilize digital technology to enable its exhibitions to be seen remotely amid travel restrictions under the coronavirus pandemic, according to the trade ministry.
The pavilion will convey the attractiveness of Japan to visitors from all over the world by allowing them to experience the country's history and technology, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said, hoping the exhibitions will also draw interest to the 2025 world exposition in Osaka.
In addition to opening two special websites to serve as a "Virtual Japan Pavilion," the country will allow people from Japan and other locations to use remotely controlled avatar robots to join some events at the pavilion.
Those events will be held for a limited number of participants for a limited period of time.
Under the theme of "where ideas meet," the Japan Pavilion will use the latest visual and spatial presentations including moving images and ultrafine mist to let visitors experience how diverse encounters spark new ideas and lead the world to a better tomorrow, according to the ministry.
The exhibitions will include Japan's landscape and the challenges the world faces now. Miniature models representing the country and a corner to introduce the 2025 expo in the Kansai region in western Japan will also be set up.
Japanese conveyor belt sushi chain Sushiro, of Food & Life Companies Ltd., will open a restaurant at the expo to be held in the United Arab Emirates city through the end of March next year and serve halal dishes prepared according to Islamic law, the ministry said.
"We want to make this event a great success by conveying the charms of Japan as much as possible, and increase momentum toward the Osaka expo," Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Hiroshi Kajiyama said at an event held on Sept. 1 to present the exhibition contents at the Japan Pavilion for the Dubai expo.
The Dubai expo, delayed for about a year due to the pandemic, will open Oct. 1 and run through March 31. Its theme is "Connecting Minds and Creating the Future" through sustainability, mobility and opportunity.
The Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan, will be held on Yumeshima, an artificial island in Osaka Bay, from April 13 through Oct. 13 under the theme of "Designing Future Society for Our Lives." It will mark the sixth official international exposition to be held in Japan and the first since the 2005 event in Aichi Prefecture.
Related coverage:
Organizing body for Osaka's 2025 World Expo ties up with JICA, JETRO
Osaka to request stronger virus measures in response to "fourth wave"
