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Sports Recreation Shiga 2008 opening ceremony at Kibogaoka Park, Yasu on Oct. 18, 2008. It was a sunny, cloudless day, and quite hot in sun. スポレク滋賀 開会式
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The opening ceremony started at 12:30 pm with a line of Caffy flags each representing a different sport.
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Athletes from Shiga at the opening ceremony.
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Then representatives from all 47 prefectures marched through the crowd.
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Each flag had the name of the prefecture. This is Miyazaki.
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Athletes from Miyazaki Prefecture hold a sign saying "See you next year in Miyazaki!"
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Shiga athletes applaud as the different athletes marched past.
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Gunma
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Tokyo
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Nagano
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Shiga
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Flags for all the prefectures.
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The contingent from South Korea also marched to their seats from the center stage.
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The opening ceremony stage was at the front and center, looking very tiny to most of us. Shiga Governor Yukiko Kada is in a yellow pants suit.
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Large monitor shows Governor Kada declaring the opening of the Spo-rec event.
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On the right was a large stage for the band.
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Over 20,000 people competed in the sports tournaments held all over Shiga. They included soccer, softball, badminton, bowling, track, gate ball, folk dancing, aerobics, and trampoline.
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This sports meet is designed for adults of all ages. You can be 95 years old and still participate. They call it a "life-long sports meet."
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Caffy cap
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Giant balls were tossed to the audience. They slapped the balls toward the front, but many of them popped like a balloon.
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The next activity, representing water, was having a huge blue sheet covering the spectators. The opening ceremony had a theme based on water, humans, and the sky.
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The ground transformed into a lake.
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Then they tossed these small balls onto the sheet where they bounced all over.
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A taiko troupe performs.
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For the finale, they released these little balloons shaped like doves. This was to represent the sky.
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Dove balloons in the sky.
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Another activity for the sky...
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A tall crane hoists up the Yokaichi giant kite.
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Wish they actually flew the kite, but I guess there wasn't enough room.
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This giant kite is actually an old one, from several years ago. They took it down after the opening ceremony was over.
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Flags
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Spo-rec flags
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They had a whole bunch of Caffy mascots walking around. Caffy is modeled after the Lake Biwa Giant Catfish, a unique species found only in Lake Biwa.
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Caffy, the official mascot of Sports Recreation Shiga 2008, is modeled after the Lake Biwa Giant Catfish, a unique species found only in Lake Biwa.
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Sculpture for Water.
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Sculpture for Humans.
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Sculpture for the Sky.
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Toward the east side of the park was an area where you could try various new sports.
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Throwing Bingo
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Jumping rope en masse.
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Blow darts
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Bashamichi Station on the MInato Mirai Line is one of the stations closest to the expo site. It has an info counter.
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Bashamichi Station pointing the way to EXPO Y150. The expo has three areas, with the Bayside Area being the main one at the waterfront area next to the Red Brick Warehouses.
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Yokohama Port was opened to the world in 1859, making 2009 the 150th anniversary of the port's opening. To celebrate, Yokohama held EXPO Y150 during April 28 to Sept. 27, 2009.
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Map of the Bayside Area which consists of several expo places, three of which required admission.
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Bayside Area's main venue is the Hajimari-no-Mori.
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Hajimari-no-Mori consisted of these round buildings.
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Ticket office at Hajimari-no-Mori. Admission for adults is 2400 yen.
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Hajimari-no-Mori Gate.
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Inside Hajimari-no-Mori. It's not a huge place, but the main attraction is La Machine and the Yokohama Monogatari Pavilion.
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Hajimari-no-Mori's main attraction is La Machine, a giant mechanical spider. (Photos below.)
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Tanemaru, official mascot of EXPO Y150. It is a sprouting seed on a boat.
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Tanemaru, official mascot of EXPO Y150.Tanemaru as described at the official Web site: "Tanemaru embodies the spirit of the camphor tree that stands in the courtyard of the Yokohama Archives of History, watching over Japan since the opening of the country 150 years ago. In the year 2009, Tanemaru “sets sail” into the next 150 years, bearing new seeds of vitality for Asia and the rest of the world."
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Entrance to the Hajimari-no-Mori's main pavilion called Yokohama Monogatari (Yokohama Story).
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Inside the Yokohama Monogatari Pavilion which explains Yokohama's history with emphasis on Perry's visit.
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Painting depicting Perry's landing at Yokohama.
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The dawn of Japan-America relations.
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Food served to Perry and his men.
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History of Yokohama after the port opening in 1859.
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About Townsend Harris, US Counsel.
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Panel outlining the history of Yokohama since its port opening.
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Mini theater at the Yokohama Monogatari pavilion.
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With many Western technologies brought to Yokohama, many of Japan's Western things like railroads, ice cream, photography, and publishing started in Yokohama.
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The start of new occupations.
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The start of newspaper publishing.
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One new occupation was photographers.
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Beato Photo Studio. Beato was a pioneering photographer in Japan.
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La Machine, from France, gives a street performance a few times a day.
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Pretty dramatic show.
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It crawls from one end to the other.
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Each of the spider's legs is controlled by an operator.
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Sometimes the spider would spew its web from its mouth and tail. (Actually water.)
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Inside ENEOS Energy Future Pavilion
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Souvenir shop
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Tanemaru dolls
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Tanemaru on Hikone no Yoi-nyanko (alias Hiko-nyan) at at EXPO Y150 in Yokohama.
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Kurofune Restaurant
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Kurofune (Blackship) Restaurant
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Across the road from Hajimari-no-Mori is Tomorrow Park, a smaller site, mainly an indoor theater for anime. Admission required.
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Entrance to Tomorrow Park
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Entrance to Tomorrow Park
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Inside Tomorrow Park
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Futuristic Theater BATON
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Futuristic Theater BATON showed anime movie.
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Earth Balloon HOME. Lit up at night and floats up by 20 meters.
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Stage
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Stage
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The third Bayside Area venue was at Shinko Pier, featuring Nissan Dream Front. The building looks like a large warehouse. It had exhibits and a theater.
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Inside Dream Front in the waiting lobby were corrugated cardboard models of various boats. On the left is Hokule'a from Hawaii.
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The Hokule'a visited Yokohama from Hawaii in 2007.
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After a beautiful. high-definition film (included footage of hang gliding atop Hawaii's Diamond Head) in the Super Hi-Vision Theater, we come here to gaze at Nissan's prototype electric car.
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Nissan's first electric car.
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A more recent electric car, no longer sold.
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Now a ride on the Kanko Maru blackship. It was a free ride for Expo Y150 admission ticket holders. Reservation tickets were available from 10 am at the entrance of Tomorrow Park which is near the boat pier.
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The Kanko Maru was on loan from Huis Ten Bosch in Nagasaki.
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They offer one-hour cruises a few times a day for about a week in early Aug. 2009 when I went.
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The Kanko Maru was built in 1987 in Holland.
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On top deck.
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Kanko Maru departing the pier.
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Kanko Maru in Yokohama
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Below deck on the Kanko Maru. This deck was air-conditioned.
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First duty of the day was to raise the mast.
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Raising a sail.
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Then we were allowed to walk along the bowsprit after donning life jackets. Safety net below, but we were told not to bring sunglasses, etc., which may fall into the water.
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Safety net below so it was not dangerous to walk on the pole.
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Asuka II luxury ship was docked at Osanbashi.
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Hikawa Maru at Yamashita Park.
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Next activity was tying rope knots. Haven't done this since being a Boy Scout.
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Japan Coast Guard ship
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Arrive back to port.
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Hikone no Yoi-nyanko and Tanemaru at EXPO Y150 in Yokohama.
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Souvenir at EXPO Y150 in Yokohama.
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Unfortunately, Expo Y150 failed to attract the 5 million visitors the city had hoped for. Only 1.24 million paid visitors came, resulting in a major financial loss for the city.Also see the Official Web site here.
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