Overview

Today was packed with two piority, I visited the Osaka Castle as well as the World Expo.

Osaka Castle

Intent

I was interested in old stuff, so I expect to see an old castle preserved into the modern era and maybe learn some history about it.

Experience

The Anime Figurine Museum was a suprise which was actually the first thing I saw. As it was part of my ticket I went in and saw figures across the centuries. After buying some snacks from here, I proceed to the castle and found that it is now a museum basically. I also took a boat ride around the moat of the castle.

Memory

Regarding the Anime Figurine figure it was intresting to look at the progression of the figurine across time and how it has changed. Additionally there are diorama of various famous scene like Iron Man and the fighter jet as well as Godzilla.

For the castle it was more modern than expected, the interior feels like any other museum. It is english translated and some things are intresting, such as a particular section on Dutch Japan friendship where I learnt that the Dutch is one of the few that is trading with Japan during the isolation.

Finally the boat ride I remember seeing the “demon face” statue, where the guide told us that it is suppose to ward off evil, I thought this was intresting to witness thses superstition.

Insight

The most important lesson from this is definetly time management, I did not research everything and I missed a boat ride as well as one of the tower due to taking a wrong turn. In the future I will either allocate more time or at least look out for time sensitive parts in a region.

Japan World Expo 2025

Intent - Overall

The mainstay of the trip, my professor mentioned this event and showed us an video. Since then I have been kinda curious about this event which started back in 1897, and it seems like a good way to learn much about the world. I booked the night ticket expecting it to be less crowded. I have also receive a slot at the Japanese Pavilion via the lottery system. I will be splitting this section sequentially based on my arrival

Experience - Malaysia & Singapore Pavilion

The Malaysia building represent a wooden strucutre and the first part is a market. Afterwards there are some sections on the hope of the nation and their smart city plan.

Singapore building is a giant red dot that certainly stand out, the first floor is full of glass trees and simillar things,

Memory - Malaysia & Singapore Pavilion

Malaysia section most memorial section is the entrance where it is about past culture, everything after that feel like generic big city stuff.

Singapore memorial section is the glass section on the first floor, there was one section using Augmented Reality where we can enter our wish and hopes

Insight - Malaysia & Singapore Pavilion

I learnt not to visit surrounding country as the information isn’t new and while visually it is appealing, the content are mostly of things I already know.

Experience - Japan Pavillion

The Japan Pavllion actually consist of three sections represnting a cyclic cycle for a substainable future. It was also as I learn the largest wooden strucutre at that time. I saw a showcase of how biodegrabale plastic break down in water exhibit, as well as a comic strip of doeramon of the Ise Jingu. Finally we reach the center 1/3 of the way through and there is a queue for looking at the Narashino Meteorite and one for touching it, obviously I went and touch it and it feel just like any other rock. Afterwards it is focused on the bio reactor and how they produce energy with algea, ending off with DNA strands like decorations with mirrors making it appear like the DNA strands in a human body.

Memory - Japan Pavillion

There are a lot of intresting things here, so to summarise

• The Ise Jingu and the ceremonic rebuilding every 20 years to ensure that Shinmei-zukuri technique used is preserved across generation as well as the structure of the building and it clearly seems to be working pretty well.

• A showcase of how much more water does it take to raise an animal compared to algea, the ration is 50:1. It is hard to imagine how much meat consumption affect the planet.

• The central ring was really relaxing and calming, a good waiting spot for the Narashino Meteorite. Even through the entire day was quited packed this moment was one of calm.

• The bio reactor plant where waste water from the expo is channeled right here and is used to create energy. It took a while to understand but once I realize what is it below my feet it was like a miracle.

Insight - Japan Pavillion

This was one of the best part of the day, the exhibits are exciting. I learnt to stop and contemplate the various exhibitons and stay longer than a glance.

Experience - Conclusion

Initally I had planned to visit other pavilion like China and Spain, however I soon realize that the night ticket means that by the time I have left Japan Pavillion most other Pavillion are starting to close their doors. Some of those that are still open are the Brazil Pavilion as well as Bangledesh. Since we are near the end I went to the top and had an overview of the entire place and watched the final drone show before heading back. The queue back is long but the Japanese train were efficient

Memory - Others

The Brazil pavilion left the most impact due to being a shade of pink with plastic represnting trees,where the tree seems to grow and inflate. I sat at one of the chair and it was a strange experience.

The train back is also very long, I think it took 50 minute for me to leave via the station.

Insight - Others

One of the things I learnt is to trust my instints and explore what I am curious about. Additionally I need to do more research before buying tickets as I did not get to visit as many pavilion as I wanted. FInally I learnt how to tolerate long queues.