Expo 85 (Tsukuba, Japan)

1985 Tsukuba
Fuyō Pavilion
Overview
BIE-class	Specialized exposition
Category	International specialized exposition
Name	The International Exposition, Tsukuba, Japan, 1985 (国際科学技術博覧会, Kokusai Kagaku Gijutsu Hakurankai, "The International Science Technology Exposition")
Area	102 hectares (250 acres)
Visitors	20,334,727
Mascot	Cosmo Hoshimaru
Participant(s)
Countries	111
Organizations	3
Business	18
Location
Country	Japan
City	Tsukuba
Timeline
Opening	March 17, 1985 (1985-03-17)
Closure	September 16, 1985 (1985-09-16)
Specialized expositions
Previous	1984 Louisiana World Exposition in New Orleans
Next	Expo 86 in Vancouver
Universal expositions
Previous	Expo '70 in Osaka
Next	Seville Expo '92 in Seville
Horticultural expositions
Previous	International Garden Festival in Liverpool
Next	Expo '90 in Osaka
Simultaneous
Specialized	Expo 85 in Plovdiv

Expo '85, officially called The International Exposition, Tsukuba, Japan, 1985 (国際科学技術博覧会, Kokusai Kagaku Gijutsu Hakurankai, "The International Science Technology Exposition"), was a world's fair held in Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan (Tsukuba Science City, a planned city focused on technology north of Tokyo) between Sunday, March 17 and Monday, September 16, 1985. The theme of the fair was "Dwellings and Surroundings - Science and Technology for Man at Home". Attendance was over 20 million and 48 countries participated, along with several companies.

The exposition

The exhibition recognised by the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), was devoted to the advancements in science and technology, and sought to highlight the impact of technological evolution on ordinary life to ensure that science and technology would be accessible to everyone.

The exhibition had a double intention. It was expected that the exposition would showcase Japan as a country of technological innovation. In addition, organisers hoped that the Expo would give some much needed exposure to Tsukuba, a city created 2 decades before as a scientific center, without much success.

Among the attractions of the exposition was the Jumbotron, a huge TV screen developed by the Japanese firm Sony.

Shown by continent, the participant countries were as follows:

Africa	Column-generating template families The templates listed here are not interchangeable. For example, using {{col-float}} with {{col-end}} instead of {{col-float-end}} would leave a <div>...</div> open, potentially harming any subsequent formatting. Column templates Type Family Handles wiki table code?† Responsive/ mobile suited Start template Column divider End template Float "col-float" Yes Yes {{col-float}} {{col-float-break}} {{col-float-end}} "columns-start" Yes Yes {{columns-start}} {{column}} {{columns-end}} Columns "div col" Yes Yes {{div col}} – {{div col end}} "columns-list" No Yes {{columns-list}} (wraps div col) – – Flexbox "flex columns" No Yes {{flex columns}} – – Table "col" Yes No {{col-begin}}, {{col-begin-fixed}} or {{col-begin-small}} {{col-break}} or {{col-2}} .. {{col-5}} {{col-end}} † Can template handle the basic wiki markup {| | || |- |} used to create tables? If not, special templates that produce these elements (such as {{(!}}, {{!}}, {{!!}}, {{!-}}, {{!)}})—or HTML tags (<table>...</table>, <tr>...</tr>, etc.)—need to be used instead.
Asia	Column-generating template families The templates listed here are not interchangeable. For example, using {{col-float}} with {{col-end}} instead of {{col-float-end}} would leave a <div>...</div> open, potentially harming any subsequent formatting. Column templates Type Family Handles wiki table code?† Responsive/ mobile suited Start template Column divider End template Float "col-float" Yes Yes {{col-float}} {{col-float-break}} {{col-float-end}} "columns-start" Yes Yes {{columns-start}} {{column}} {{columns-end}} Columns "div col" Yes Yes {{div col}} – {{div col end}} "columns-list" No Yes {{columns-list}} (wraps div col) – – Flexbox "flex columns" No Yes {{flex columns}} – – Table "col" Yes No {{col-begin}}, {{col-begin-fixed}} or {{col-begin-small}} {{col-break}} or {{col-2}} .. {{col-5}} {{col-end}} † Can template handle the basic wiki markup {| | || |- |} used to create tables? If not, special templates that produce these elements (such as {{(!}}, {{!}}, {{!!}}, {{!-}}, {{!)}})—or HTML tags (<table>...</table>, <tr>...</tr>, etc.)—need to be used instead.
The Americas	Column-generating template families The templates listed here are not interchangeable. For example, using {{col-float}} with {{col-end}} instead of {{col-float-end}} would leave a <div>...</div> open, potentially harming any subsequent formatting. Column templates Type Family Handles wiki table code?† Responsive/ mobile suited Start template Column divider End template Float "col-float" Yes Yes {{col-float}} {{col-float-break}} {{col-float-end}} "columns-start" Yes Yes {{columns-start}} {{column}} {{columns-end}} Columns "div col" Yes Yes {{div col}} – {{div col end}} "columns-list" No Yes {{columns-list}} (wraps div col) – – Flexbox "flex columns" No Yes {{flex columns}} – – Table "col" Yes No {{col-begin}}, {{col-begin-fixed}} or {{col-begin-small}} {{col-break}} or {{col-2}} .. {{col-5}} {{col-end}} † Can template handle the basic wiki markup {| | || |- |} used to create tables? If not, special templates that produce these elements (such as {{(!}}, {{!}}, {{!!}}, {{!-}}, {{!)}})—or HTML tags (<table>...</table>, <tr>...</tr>, etc.)—need to be used instead.
Europe	Column-generating template families The templates listed here are not interchangeable. For example, using {{col-float}} with {{col-end}} instead of {{col-float-end}} would leave a <div>...</div> open, potentially harming any subsequent formatting. Column templates Type Family Handles wiki table code?† Responsive/ mobile suited Start template Column divider End template Float "col-float" Yes Yes {{col-float}} {{col-float-break}} {{col-float-end}} "columns-start" Yes Yes {{columns-start}} {{column}} {{columns-end}} Columns "div col" Yes Yes {{div col}} – {{div col end}} "columns-list" No Yes {{columns-list}} (wraps div col) – – Flexbox "flex columns" No Yes {{flex columns}} – – Table "col" Yes No {{col-begin}}, {{col-begin-fixed}} or {{col-begin-small}} {{col-break}} or {{col-2}} .. {{col-5}} {{col-end}} † Can template handle the basic wiki markup {| | || |- |} used to create tables? If not, special templates that produce these elements (such as {{(!}}, {{!}}, {{!!}}, {{!-}}, {{!)}})—or HTML tags (<table>...</table>, <tr>...</tr>, etc.)—need to be used instead.
Oceania	Column-generating template families The templates listed here are not interchangeable. For example, using {{col-float}} with {{col-end}} instead of {{col-float-end}} would leave a <div>...</div> open, potentially harming any subsequent formatting. Column templates Type Family Handles wiki table code?† Responsive/ mobile suited Start template Column divider End template Float "col-float" Yes Yes {{col-float}} {{col-float-break}} {{col-float-end}} "columns-start" Yes Yes {{columns-start}} {{column}} {{columns-end}} Columns "div col" Yes Yes {{div col}} – {{div col end}} "columns-list" No Yes {{columns-list}} (wraps div col) – – Flexbox "flex columns" No Yes {{flex columns}} – – Table "col" Yes No {{col-begin}}, {{col-begin-fixed}} or {{col-begin-small}} {{col-break}} or {{col-2}} .. {{col-5}} {{col-end}} † Can template handle the basic wiki markup {| | || |- |} used to create tables? If not, special templates that produce these elements (such as {{(!}}, {{!}}, {{!!}}, {{!-}}, {{!)}})—or HTML tags (<table>...</table>, <tr>...</tr>, etc.)—need to be used instead.

In regards to the companies, the ones who were present are as follows:

• Daiei
• Fujitsu
• Fuyo Group
• Hitachi
• IBM
• Karumakan
• Kodansha
• Matsushita
• Mitsubishi
• Mitsui
• NEC
• NTT
• Shūeisha
• Sony
• Sumitomo Group
• TDK
• Toshiba
• UCC Ueshima Coffee Co.

Also present were the United Nations, the European Economic Community, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Asian Development Bank, along with the government of the Ibaraki prefecture.

Mascot

The mascot was Cosmo Hoshimaru was designed by a student in a design competition, and shows a planet or an astronaut.

File:EXPOLinerHM.JPG

Cosmo on a train board

Further reading

• Narita, Tatsushi. 'Tsukuba 1985.' In Encyclopedia of World's Fairs and Expositions, ed. John E. Findling and Kimberly D. Pelle. Jefferson, NC and London:McFarland, 2008. pp. 364–367.
• "Expo '85 At Tsukuba". Popular Mechanics: 102–105. May 1985.

External links

• Official website of the BIE
• European Patent Office
• ICAM Cell Universe exhibit at Expo '85
• ExpoMuseum page on Expo '85
• Aerial photograph at the area, 1984
• Live performance at Expo '85 by Boz Scaggs
• The International Exposition, Tsukuba, Japan, written in Japanese but equipped with a lot of pictures of representative pavilions.