Expo 2005 Aichi

In 2005, Japan hosted an international Expo in Aichi with a general theme of "Love the Earth". The Expo ended on 25th September 2005. The Expo site was on the edges of Nagoya.

There were several ways to get to the Expo site from Nagoya station. One route allowed part of the journey to be on the Linimo (Linear Induction Motor transport - also known as Maglev or Magnetic Levitation trains). The Linimo trains float on a magnetic field, generated by superconducting magnets. The Linimo trains are very smooth and fast because they do not touch their rails while they are moving.

It was possible for non-Japanese to enter a free ballot for tickets to view a reconstruction of Satsuki and Mei's house from the Japanese cartoon film "My Neighbour Totoro" (「隣(とな)りのととろ」), but the tickets were very limited. The house was built in the Showa style and its interior includes all the things that were necessary for living, including their father's books and shirts. In the bathroom are old-fashioned stand up bath and water basin. Unfortunately, you were not allowed into the attic to chase dust bunnies.

Without advance booking, queues for many of the major exhibitions at the Expo were over three hours long. Some rides, such as the two big wheels require additional payment.

Some of the other exhibits at the Aichi 2005 Expo included the head and a foot of a frozen mammoth and pavilions from a large number of different countries including Australia and Singapore.