The first day of Japan’s edition of Expo 2018 got off to a colorful start on Sunday with a number of pavilions from countries around the world enthusiastically previewing their work. Japan even covered its entire country in a salt-and-red-colored screen, creating a theme park for the 32-day fair.
A number of other companies from around the world were also on display, showing their creative insights and their products to both foreigners and Japanese visitors. One such company, Komeza, has developed a distinctive pavilion that will help to improve the environment as well as earn the company some very valuable publicity. According to the company’s rep, the British pavilion’s aviary is currently “warmed” using energy from Komeza’s own V-hatter, a type of energy-saving device made of rainwater heat exchangers. The company also created a park where visitors can run on the water and collect rainwater in their own hydration stations.
Among other businesses, Kumite Electroelectric was showcasing a fashion exhibition and the industrial floor-to-ceiling doors made by a company called Madeline Designs. Other companies were presenting furniture, statues, masterpieces, medical devices, and television screens that enable consumers to spend more time in the media.
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For many visitors, the most unusual element was the water theme. One pavilion made a sizable waterfall, allowing visitors to drink from a facility. Others created rainpipes that would let people drink rainwater. A variety of colors were used to promote various brands, including crimson red, silver, blue, pink, and white.
Visitors can drive their own water vehicles through which they can collect excess water. Photographer Hannah Hargrave paints a smile on the vehicle with water. This “Rainbug” is a level 1 facility for self-driven vehicles, which allow their owners to haul 50 liters of water at a time. Haribo, a Japanese snack food company, is also heavily promoting its “RainPop” brand, which lets people pack rainwater inside of hollowed-out plastic balloons. The company has built several of these “RainPop” parks in Japan, to mark the 40th anniversary of the release of their very first product.
In addition to traveling its various parks, the “RainBug” has a set of 31 soft power balloons that will be sent to the Israeli city of Ashkelon after September 2019.
Some countries had already started erecting their pavilions by the time the Japanese edition opened, such as Argentina and the Philippines. Each pavilion is a public venue and often allow visitors to do more than simply watch a parade of exhibits, allowing them to interact and relax.