It got too long, so I split it into part 2.

The view outside

It’s completely an island, and it looks like it’s still under development.

Singapore Pavilion

A small pond

This is the opposite side, and there’s a plaza and a pond too.

Seen from the front

Nicely done.

Turkmenistan

I’d never heard of Turkmenistan before, but it was quite famous at the Expo. It felt like they’d spent a fortune, so to speak… even the logo was sort of Hermes-style… I never expected such a small country to pull it off this well…

Restaurant

There was a huge restaurant here too.

Some African pavilion

It looked really big, but I didn’t have time to go in…

Main plaza

The French and US pavilions are right next to each other, and both had incredibly long lines.

Park

Lots of people resting because they were worn out… The place is huge inside, but there’s no easy way to get around… Of course, with so many people there’s a real risk of accidents if things go wrong, so I can see why, but if you have to walk around an area that big, you really need places to rest. Thank goodness for the Grand Ring, at least.

Ireland Pavilion

Ground floor of the French Pavilion

There’s a bakery, and I heard it’s run by people who came out of Maison Kayser.

Various breads

They look ordinary, but they all tasted good.

Main plaza

You can stay here until later, but you get tired, and the bigger problem is that if you want to buy souvenirs, that line is no joke either… So once you’ve seen enough, you have to head straight out.

Lawson

There was even a Lawson… though there’s a bit of a line here too…

Souvenir shop

They’ve got Dragon Ball.

Shirts

The prices aren’t cheap…

People

It’s really packed…

People

Picking out gifts, and buying them and getting out, is no joke…

Myaku-Myaku

Myaku-Myaku

Why on earth gyusuji ninniku (beef tendon garlic)? Seems like a souvenir for the old guys…

Last view

I had a good look around and left. I saw a surprising number of interesting buildings, which was fun, but I felt I hadn’t prepared quite enough… I think I could really do it right if I went once more, but in the end that chance never came… naturally…

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