OSAKA – Two monuments previously exhibited at the French pavilion during last year’s World Exposition in Osaka were installed Friday at nearby Kansai International Airport in western Japan.
The monuments, modeled after UNESCO World Heritage sites in Japan and France, are among 13 expo works and exhibits that operator Kansai Airports has decided to install at the three airports it runs, also including Itami and Kobe airports, as legacies of the event.
At a ceremony marking the installations, Benoit Rulleau, a French national and co-CEO of Kansai Airports, expressed hopes of carrying the success of the expo into the future, with the monuments a symbol of friendship between the two countries.
A monument inspired by the torii gate of Itsukushima Shrine in Hiroshima Prefecture and Mont Saint-Michel Abbey in Normandy, both known for appearing to float on water, has been placed in the center of the international departures area in Terminal 1.
Meanwhile, a second piece themed on Shuri Castle in Okinawa Prefecture and Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, which have both undergone restoration work following fires, has been installed on the north side of the area.
Last month, an iconic red telephone box displayed at the British pavilion at the expo was installed in front of the domestic arrivals gate on the ground floor of Terminal 1.
AloJapan.com