OSAKA — Tomiyo Yamada, affectionately known as “Banpaku obaachan” or “Expo lady,” was awarded a certificate of gratitude by the Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau on Oct. 29 after she attended the Osaka Expo every day it was open, a feat she’s achieved three times before at other Expos.
The first Expo she participated in every day was in 2005 in her home prefecture of Aichi where she discovered her love for the event. The second and third were 2010’s Shanghai Expo in China and 2012’s Yeosu Expo in South Korea, respectively, winning her fame in the process.
For Osaka’s Expo, 76-year-old Yamada rented a residence within Osaka, living away from her home in Seto, Aichi Prefecture, so she could attend every day.
The awarding organization, the Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau, is a public interest incorporated foundation made up of the Osaka prefectural and city governments and local businesses. Its chairman, Hiroshi Mizohata, presented Yamada with a handwritten thank-you letter and souvenirs of the Expo mascot, Myaku-Myaku. “We’re moved by the various exchanges and your passion and commitment over the entire 184 days. You’ve physically demonstrated the Expo’s virtues of world cooperation and peace,” he said.
Yamada commented, “The Osaka Expo really felt like one world where I could get a taste of many foreign cultures. I definitely want to attend the next one!”
(Japanese original by Mie Omokawa, Osaka City News Department)
AloJapan.com