Steve Goff
Northern News Services

Aichi, Japan (July 06/05) - In a forested site just east of Nagoya, Japan, sits the splash of sound and colour that is Expo 2005: an international fair in which countries throughout the world present their art, science and technology.

Expo runs from spring until September. This year's theme is "Nature's Wisdom."

An overview of Expo 2005 in Aichi, Japan. The theme is "nature's wisdom," but a cover of smog lay over the city on this day.

The site itself is a mixture of ecology and high-technology. Most pavilions are built of wood and are clustered along streets or "Global Commons," each for a specific part of the world.

A wooden aerial walkway connects these streets and three-wheeled taxis and high-tech, futuristic buses swish by silently. Most of this site will be returned to nature after Expo.

The pavilion of each country expresses "Nature's Wisdom" in its own way. The Canadian Pavilion - choosing "Wisdom of Diversity" as its sub-theme - uses sound, video and multiple-projections on giant fabric screens in film presentations of the variety in both Canada's land and people.

Several interactive computer screens show the working lives and home cities of seven different Canadians, including Iqaluit's filmmaker, Kirt Ejesiak.

Some pavilions express "Nature's Wisdom" by showing the biological diversity of their lands: at Central America (hosted by seven countries), one walks through tropical trees to see Mayan artifacts; Mexico uses multi-media to display forest, desert and artwork based on nature's themes; and India emphasizes the importance of trees in its culture and economy using stories from folklore.

Some pavilions are more than just a box. In Italy, one walks across an artificial lake. In China, the spectacular inner walls form one molded surface - a giant piece of artwork depicting scenes of its history, art and culture.

The only overtly political message I saw was in the Disneyesque U.S. Pavilion, whose show piece was a screen Benjamin Franklin telling his audience that a better world would come now that his ideas of "liberty" were spreading throughout the world.

In my view, the U.K. Pavilion best captured the Expo theme with interactive displays of technology inspired by nature: fabrics that breathe based on the pine cone structure; low resistance surfaces based on shark skin; and adhesive surfaces based on the structure of a gecko's foot. Alternative energy is also a big theme with the Nordic, Russian, and U.K. displays of tidal power generators, and fuel cell shuttle buses cruising the Expo site.

The centrepiece of Expo, however, is the awesome Japanese area, where several companies have their own giant pavilions. Robot orchestras, mag-lev and futuristic concept vehicles, alternative universe displays, and other delights are possible to experience if you brave the hour-plus lineups.

Being a working musician here on site, I have not yet found time for that - but here's hoping.