The EXPO 2005 site in Aichi (Japan Association for the 2005 World Exposition)

Showcasing New Environment-Friendly Technology
The planners of EXPO 2005 have made looking after the environment their top priority. A system employing the 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) was introduced during the process of constructing the venue, and new forms of environmentally friendly energy have also been extensively used, including solar power and fuel cells powered using the methane gas produced by garbage at the site. The balance between electricity supply and demand will be skillfully maintained. The Japanese government's pavilion will be completely powered by these alternative forms of energy, the first time such a feat has ever been attempted. In addition, biodegradable plastics, which break down quickly after being buried in the earth, are being used in official EXPO 2005 merchandise and in the dishes and utensils used at the venue. Wastewater will be treated with ultradense ozone.

Visitors will be able to see a frozen mammoth. (Japan Association for the 2005 World Exposition)

New technology will also be used in the transport systems operating in and around the venue in order to reduce the burden on the environment. Visitors will travel to the EXPO site on a linear motor car called "Linimo," which uses magnetic levitation and provides a glimpse at the next generation of transport systems. Linimo, which will be the first maglev vehicle in Japan to be used in a public setting, will glide 7 millimeters above its track and will make almost no noise whatsoever. It is very easy on the environment. Moving visitors around within the venue will be the Intelligent Multimode Transit System. The driverless vehicles in this system will move between the different parts of the venue in convoy formation on special roads. Connecting the two venues will be fuel-cell hybrid buses.

One innovative project at EXPO 2005 is Bio-lung, a wall of plants and flowers 150 meters long and 12 meters high. This device, which will use the power of plants to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the air, supply oxygen, and provide cooling effects in the summer months, is the first attempt in the world to improve urban environments using such methods. Bio-lung will harness the power of plants to provide a "lung" for the city that will improve air quality.

Another feature of EXPO 2005 is that tickets to the event, which are available in advance, will contain tiny embedded IC chips, just 0.4 millimeters square. Holders of these tickets will be able to make reservations for exhibits or restaurants, and Expo staff will be able to locate visitors who may have gotten lost and accurately monitor the number of visitors during different times.

Bio-lung (Japan Association for the 2005 World Exposition)

Integrating these various cutting-edge systems will open up many possibilities. Information will be provided to visitors both inside and outside the venue; operations and safety can be managed more efficiently; and there will be many fun performances in the different spaces throughout the venue. There will also be various robots, including some that are capable of interpreting between different languages and others that will clean the site. EXPO 2005 is a new stage that will make effective use of the latest in information technology.

See a Mammoth
One of the feature events at EXPO 2005 will be the eagerly anticipated excavation and display of a frozen, intact mammoth, an animal believed to have gone extinct roughly 10,000 years ago. This attempt is unprecedented in human history. Already the head and left front leg of a mammoth have been located in the permafrost in the Republic of Sakha, Russian Federation, and efforts are proceeding to obtain the permission to excavate from officials of the Russian government. If this project is successful, it will be a boon to research on life and the global environment.

Other features include the world's first completely spherical movie screen, which will be viewed by visitors from the inside. Located in the pavilion of the Japanese government, "Globe Vision," which will measure 12.7 meters across, will reveal the present state of the Earth and demonstrate, through images and sound, changes to the global environment.

In the twenty-first century, it is absolutely vital for humanity to search for ways in which it can enjoy a sustainable coexistence with nature. It is hoped that EXPO 2005 will unearth clues as to how this can be achieved through its mixture of global exchange and cutting-edge technology and that these hints will be shared with the rest of the world.

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Copyright (c) 2004 Web Japan. Edited by Japan Echo Inc. based on domestic Japanese news sources. Articles presented here are offered for reference purposes and do not necessarily represent the policy or views of the Japanese Government.