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Cultural shows and activities mark Japan National Day celebrations at Expo 2020

The country brought a slice of Far East to the event with activations including flower arranging class, workshop, dance and bridal show, and more

Japan celebrated its National Day at Expo 2020 Dubai on Saturday with a colourful line-up of cultural and entertainment activities.

This included Aikido – modern Japanese martial art – a traditional Nanchu Soran dance performed by children and a taiko drumming group.

The celebrations will continue at the Japan Pavilion and at venues across the Expo site including the Sun, Earth and Sea Plazas.

Sarah bint Yousef Al Amiri, UAE Minister of State for Advanced Technology, welcomed the Japanese delegation, led by Akio Isomata, Ambassador of Japan to the UAE.

Al Amiri said, “We greatly appreciate the enthusiasm with which Japan has embraced our Expo theme, and value its commitment to creating an exhibition that utilises cutting-edge technologies to present rich Japanese content at Expo 2020 Dubai. Japan’s pavilion provides visitors with the incredible opportunity to experience how new interactions can lead to a brighter future through the exchange of ideas – as has been the case historically in Japan.

She added, “We are proud of how our relations with Japan have evolved since the establishment of diplomatic relations between our two nations, with vast cooperation on the economic, cultural, scientific, and educational fronts...Japan has been a reliable partner of ours in our efforts to explore new horizons, and we believe that together, we can work to improve the human condition and sustain its progress.”

Isomata, opined, “Allow me to congratulate the UAE on the successful hosting of the first-ever Expo taking place in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia region with a great number of visitors from around the world and in the year of Golden Jubilee of the UAE. Although this Expo was postponed for a year due to the Covid-19, as Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games had to be, it has been clearly shown that the coronavirus cannot deter us from forging ahead when we have wisdom and determination.

He added, “Bilateral relations between Japan and the UAE has been developing over the past 50 years in a variety of areas beyond long-standing cooperation in the field of oil exploration and trade, such as infrastructure, renewable energy, outer space, food, health care, tourism, sports, creative industries, etc. As our two nations celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations next year, I believe potential for further development of our relations in the future is infinitely huge.”

The Land of the Rising Sun brought a slice of the Far East to the Expo site with activations including Kaoruko, a modern Japanese flower arranging class at Dubai Millennium Amphitheater; Takekawa Gakuen/Tomoe-kai, a workshop of Japanese traditional culture at Terra Auditorium; the Nihon Ki-in, a strategic board game at the Opportunity Forum; a Japanese bridal show on Jubilee Stage; and a Yukata wearing workshop (a Japanese summer kimono) on the Sun Stage.

With the Japan Pavilion paving the way for Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan, visitors to the pavilion are encouraged to share their ideas and messages for the next World Expo. The immersive experience also underscores the country’s commitment to technological expertise, with three-dimensional video projections amplified by ultra-fine mist plunging visitors into a new dimension.

• Dubai