At the end of the year

I visited Van Gogh Exhibition at the Kobe City Museum late November.

"Cafe Terrace at Night" (1888) is my favorite of Van Gogh's masterpieces.

The contrast of the deep blues of the starry night sky and the warm, yellow light of the cafe's gaslight 

is said to be Van Goch's innovative night scene without using black colors.

(Photography was allowed for five pieces of art while it was prohibited throughout the exhibition.)

The composition of the Ukiyo-e print "Night View of Saruwaka Town" by 歌川重弘 Shigehiro Utagawa
evokes connection to Van Gogh's "Cafe Terrace at Night".
The indigo sky with the bright full moon and the moonlit main street of the town 
which is depicted with clear perspective lines vanishing into distance
are thought to have influenced Van Gogh, a big fan and collector of Ukiyo-e.

Saruwaka Town was a theater district of Edo, the former name of Tokyo.

As the last show of the day is over, people are streaming out from the theaters into 

the moonlit street.

Image from this site

I turned my photos of café terrace at night into watercolor paintings with an app.

Outdoor seats remain vacant in the cold weather.

Inside the Grand Front Osaka, the Winter Prism Tree stands 11 meters tall 
beneath a 70-meter “veil of light” inspired by the northern lights. 

Every 15 minutes, the space shines in a colorful light  with shifting hues.

I prefer starry night sky as I am reminded that I'm a part of that awe-inspring universe

when staring into the indigo sky,

In the colder and darker time of mid-December, however, I  like city streets with light-ups.

Ginkgo trees are illuminated from Umeda to Namba, 4.4 km of Midosuji Boulevard. 

At 5:00 p.m. all the lights are lit up.

As is called "Midosuji Sculpture Street", 29 sculptures by renowned artists like Auguste Rodin 

are displayed on the sidewalks around Yodoya-bashi.

Any bronze artwork hasn't been damaged or stolen on that busy places so far - it's so Japanese.

It feels like time is speeding up with the year-end approaching so quickly.

2023 post about Mido-suji Illumination 

Night scenes from Sannomiya, Kobe and Umeda, Osaka.

Linked to Mosaic Monday

Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai - The last World Expo I visited in my life

Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai held at Yumeshima Island was closed on the 13th of October.

Japan's first World Expo was also held in Osaka in 1970 when I was a college student.

I hadn't imagined two World  Expos in Osaka in my lifetime.

On both occasion, I enjoyed exploring unique national cultural heritage of each country 

and future technologies. 

This time I especially enjoyed walking around the immense two-tiered circular walkway 

of the Grand Ring which symbolizes “Unity in Diversity.”

The Grand Ring at night from here

(More about the Grand Ring is in my June post A glimpse into Expo 2025.)

Myaku-Myaku is the mascot for Expo 2025 Osaka. 

The Japanese word "脈 myaku"  means pulse. The repetition of "myaku" represents

 the continuous flow of life and knowledge from generation to generation.  

The highlight of my second visit to Expo 2025 was the  several world-class masterpieces 

at the Italy Pavillion.

Italian mascot and bee hive

Just looking at the fantastic, unique, or experimental architecture was fun.

The exterior of NullNull Pavilion composed of mirror-like materials constantly transform 

while reflecting the surroundings and visitors.

BTW, the first female Prime Minister was born in Japan where gender equality index 

has been very low.

Sanae Takaichi is a self-made politician, not a hereditary one, with strength, humility, and flexibility.

She is highly competent, insightful, and has made tremendous efforts for policy-making

as is called "a walking encyclopedia of government policies."

I'd like to correct some of the misleading overseas media reports about her from my point of view.

She is taking the right position for Japan's tradition and geo-political situation.

This is a puzzling point that some female liberals who have been advocating diversity 

and female empowerment started criticizing her. 

Takaichi shows sincere global considerations while she is committed to preserving

 cultural uniqueness and distinctiveness of the nation as a staunch concervative.

What's needed in politicians is whether they can do their job to make results 

for the good of the nation.

I hope she'll  turn people's anxieties about their present and future into hope 

and tackle with the rising prices to build a strong economy.

What will be our judgement in the next election?

Back to the talk of World Expo, I wrote my thoughts on the Expo 1970 Osaka

 in the 2018 post  "Progress and Harmony for Mankind"

I have a question for you.

What is the thing closely related to your everyday life that has progressed most

 in nearly half a century?

I think of two things.

1. At the Expo '70, TOTO featured "Washlet," an early version of the Japanese toilet with integrated  bidet functions and heating.  Now high-tech toilet is a standard fixture in Japanese homes and at public facilities.

2. "Dream Telephone" exhibited at the NTT Pavilion was a revolutionary wireless device, which led us into this amazingly connected world.  It developed in the process  from carphones to the first generation of mobile phones and to the present smartphones.

Linked to Mosaic Monday

Where has the rainy season gone?

 The end of the 梅雨 Apricot Rains was announced officially on June 27 in Kansai region.

 Rainy season usually ends in mid-July when seasonal rain front is pushed northward
 by a strong Pacific high-pressure system. 

The temperature has hit 35 C or higher since the late June when temperatures 

are typically milder at between 25C and 30C.

I’ve loved the relatively cool weather during the Apricot Rains before the arrival of 

full force of summer. 

There are so many nice things during the season.

Rain-making post - nice things during the rainy season

Nice things during the rainy season, 2017

and all the posts labelled "rainy season"

Hydrangeas are the floral symbol of the Apricot Rains.

Hydrangeas thrive along a brook in the Nagai Botanical Garden, Osaka City.

Agapanthus

It was a hot and humid day.

I tried to be in the shade as much as possible.

Umbrella Sky suspended on a path is a popular insta-worthy spot.

These umbrellas would have served mostly as parasols during the short-lived, 

dry rainy season.

The ethereal sound of the wind bell brings out the coolness.

I love blue Hydrangeas.

Vibrant red Common coral-tree flowers and violet-colored Jacaranda shine in the summer sun.

Photographic summary of the botanical garden.

At home, the cake named Hydrangea reminded me of the Hydrangea garden.

Hydrangea Garden and a cake "Hydrangea"

Linked to Mosaic Monday

A glimpse into Expo 2025

Hearing from my daughter that her family had a great time at the Expo 2025 

at Yumeshima Island, Osaka,

I made up my mind suddenly to visit there just to see what it is like.

 I registered for an Expo ID, bought a week-day ticket, reserved admission date and time,

and I was there the next day May 8th.

The white big circle in the map below is the Grand Ring, which  is a representative symbol 

of the Expo Osaka and is the largest wooden architectural structure in the world.

The central zones of the venue with overseas pavilions is enclosed within the Grand Ring

 as the notion of the world as one.

Though Japan Pavilion itselfl is outside the Ring, other Japanese pavilions are inside the Ring.

Expo 2025 Official Site

The Grand Ring is a vast circular structure with a circumference of 2 kilometers.

The Skywalk, the pathway on the roof, is two-tired, rising 12 to 20 meters high.

It is made of local woods, from hinoki cypress to sugi cedar.

Under the Ring is shaded and very cool with comfortable breeze from the sea.

It is the fusion of cutting-edge and traditional Japanese carpentry nuki-joints techniques 
seen in Japanese shrines and temples. 

Metal reinforcements are added for anti-earthquake measures.

Nuki is traditional Japanese style of joint connection with no nails.

The Forest of Tranquility located at the center of the Expo site symbolizes  

humans' coexistence and harmony with nature.

It is a relaxing place amid the hustle and bustle of the site.

There are many fantastic buildings I've never seen before.

The unique, distinctive, experimental architecture is possible

because the temporal pavilions are not subject to the building standard code.

Some pavilions including Portugal, Commons-D, The US, France, Ireland, 

Canada, and Germany Pavilions

Autonomous  trash box robots patrol about 2-kilometer Grand Ring 

except on rainy days and extremely crowded days.

Visitors can dispose of trash as they pass by.

I walked along the Ring looking over the pavilions and the sea as well as skywatching.

A large globe "Earth at Night" with a diameter of 1 meter is Wajima-nuri lacquerware which is 

characterized by the delicate beauty of its jet black and gold coloring. 

The globe is a symbol of reconstruction, having miraculously remained undamaged in the Noto Earthquake January 1st, 2024.

Wajima Museum of Urushi Art

The sun is setting over the Rokko Mountains.

I'll return in the late September as  I could reserve admission to Italy Pavilion.

Linked to Mosaic Monday