Expo '75
Encyclopedia
Expo '75 was a World's Fair
held on the island of Okinawa in Japan
from July 20, 1975 to January 18, 1976.
in 1972. The theme of the exposition was the oceans, and focused on oceanographic
technologies, marine life
, and oceanic cultures. The motto was “The sea we would like to see" (Japanese: 海－その望ましい未来, Umi - sono nozoma shii mirai).
The event was located on the western end of the Motobu Peninsula
, with a site area of 1,000,000 square metres (including sea areas). Thirty-seven nations participated, along with eight domestic and three international organizations. The keynote speaker on opening day was American author James A. Michener
.
There was also EXPO Port, EXPO Beach, and an amusement park named EXPO Land.
. It was envisioned as a concept of how humans could live harmoniously on the ocean, and a prototype for marine communities. The Aquapolis was constructed at a shipyard in Hiroshima
, Japan, and then towed to the Expo site. The facility was funded by the Japanese government, and cost 13 billion yen. It was thirty-two meters high, and had a one-hundred square meter deck.
The Expo Transit System featured two types of automated, electric people movers: The 'Expo New City Cars' (KRT) ran on a 3.7 km track almost the whole length of the site, there were three stations. The Expo Future Cars (CVS) track was at the north end and connected the Fish Cluster with Expo Land via five stations.
to be scrapped.
The Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium
and Tropical & Subtropical Arboretum
were later constructed on the site.
World's Fair
World's fair, World fair, Universal Exposition, and World Expo are various large public exhibitions held in different parts of the world. The first Expo was held in The Crystal Palace in Hyde Park, London, United Kingdom, in 1851, under the title "Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All...
held on the island of Okinawa in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
from July 20, 1975 to January 18, 1976.
History
Expo 75 was conceived, in part, to commemorate the American handover of Okinawa to JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
in 1972. The theme of the exposition was the oceans, and focused on oceanographic
Oceanography
Oceanography , also called oceanology or marine science, is the branch of Earth science that studies the ocean...
technologies, marine life
Marine biology
Marine biology is the scientific study of organisms in the ocean or other marine or brackish bodies of water. Given that in biology many phyla, families and genera have some species that live in the sea and others that live on land, marine biology classifies species based on the environment rather...
, and oceanic cultures. The motto was “The sea we would like to see" (Japanese: 海－その望ましい未来, Umi - sono nozoma shii mirai).
The event was located on the western end of the Motobu Peninsula
Motobu, Okinawa
is a town located in Kunigami District, Okinawa, Japan.As of 2003, the town has an estimated population of 14,481 and a density of 266.69 persons per km²...
, with a site area of 1,000,000 square metres (including sea areas). Thirty-seven nations participated, along with eight domestic and three international organizations. The keynote speaker on opening day was American author James A. Michener
James A. Michener
James Albert Michener was an American author of more than 40 titles, the majority of which were sweeping sagas, covering the lives of many generations in particular geographic locales and incorporating historical facts into the stories...
.
Expo 75 site
The site was divided into four “Clusters” in which there were pavilions and exhibits:Fish Cluster
- IranIranIran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
Pavilion - Sumitomo Pavilion
- AquariumAquariumAn aquarium is a vivarium consisting of at least one transparent side in which water-dwelling plants or animals are kept. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, marine mammals, turtles, and aquatic plants...
- DolphinDolphinDolphins are marine mammals that are closely related to whales and porpoises. There are almost forty species of dolphin in 17 genera. They vary in size from and , up to and . They are found worldwide, mostly in the shallower seas of the continental shelves, and are carnivores, mostly eating...
Land - Expo Future Car (C.V.S.)
Peoples and History Cluster
- International Pavilion No. 1
- Okinawa Pavilion
- EXPO Hall
- HitachiHitachi, Ltd.is a Japanese multinational conglomerate headquartered in Marunouchi 1-chome, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. The company is the parent of the Hitachi Group as part of the larger DKB Group companies...
Pavilion - Oceanic Culture Museum — Audio-visual hall, planetarium and exhibition hall displaying ships, carvings, and other cultural items from the Pacific OceanPacific OceanThe Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
area. - MitsubishiMitsubishiThe Mitsubishi Group , Mitsubishi Group of Companies, or Mitsubishi Companies is a Japanese multinational conglomerate company that consists of a range of autonomous businesses which share the Mitsubishi brand, trademark and legacy...
Pavilion — Ride featuring underwater technologies - International Pavilion No. 2
Science and Technology Cluster
- World Ocean Systems (W.O.S) — Whale-shaped theater.
- Mistui Children’s Pavilion
- Fuyo Group Pavilion — Featuring oceanic robotics and aerial garden.
- U.S.A. Pavilion
- Aquapolis — Centerpiece floating city.
- CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
Pavilion - AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
Pavilion - ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
Pavilion - U.S.S.R Pavilion
- Expo New City Car (K.R.T.)
Ships Cluster
- International Pavilion No. 3
- Midori/Icearama Pavilion – Iceberg-shaped building displaying a 3,000 year old ice core, and a 12,000 year old ice core.
- EXPO Port
- Guest House
There was also EXPO Port, EXPO Beach, and an amusement park named EXPO Land.
Highlights
The centerpiece of Expo 75 was the Aquapolis a floating city designed by Japanese architect Kiyonori KikutakeKiyonori Kikutake
is a prominent Japanese architect known as one of the founders of the Japanese Metabolist group. He has also been the tutor and employer of several important Japanese architects, such as Toyo Ito and Itsuko Hasegawa.-Career:...
. It was envisioned as a concept of how humans could live harmoniously on the ocean, and a prototype for marine communities. The Aquapolis was constructed at a shipyard in Hiroshima
Hiroshima
is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chūgoku region of western Honshu, the largest island of Japan. It became best known as the first city in history to be destroyed by a nuclear weapon when the United States Army Air Forces dropped an atomic bomb on it at 8:15 A.M...
, Japan, and then towed to the Expo site. The facility was funded by the Japanese government, and cost 13 billion yen. It was thirty-two meters high, and had a one-hundred square meter deck.
The Expo Transit System featured two types of automated, electric people movers: The 'Expo New City Cars' (KRT) ran on a 3.7 km track almost the whole length of the site, there were three stations. The Expo Future Cars (CVS) track was at the north end and connected the Fish Cluster with Expo Land via five stations.
Post-Exposition
After the Expo was over, the site became Okinawa Commemorative National Government Park (国営沖縄記念公園), also known as Ocean Expo Park. Most of the exhibits were removed, although the Aquapolis was retained as an attraction and eventually hosted four million visitors. As years passed, the number of visitors to the Aquapolis declined and it was closed in 1993. In October 2000, the Aquapolis was towed away to ShanghaiShanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
to be scrapped.
The Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium
Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium
The , located within the Ocean Expo Commemorative National Government Park in Okinawa, Japan. It welcomed its 20 millionth visitor on 30 March 2010 and is a member of the Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums .-History:...
and Tropical & Subtropical Arboretum
Tropical & Subtropical Arboretum
The is a arboretum and botanical garden located in the southern tip of the Okinawa Commemorative National Government Park at Ishikawa 424, Motobu-cho, Kunigami-gun, Okinawa, Japan...
were later constructed on the site.