Osaka Expo's 'Earth Mart' showcases food tech, plans 25-year pickled plum coupons
The pavilion, which showcases cutting-edge food technology, was produced by broadcast writer Kundo Koyama. The "life floor" area in the first half of the exhibit has a chandelierlike display depicting some 28,000 eggs -- around the number that the average Japanese person consumes in a lifetime -- and other objects to express food-related data.
The "future floor" area in the latter half introduces technologies such as those used to freeze and pulverize ingredients for long-term storage as well as technology to recreate dishes by recording detailed information such as that on ingredient mixing.
A plum pickling event is planned at the pavilion, and coupons for the pickled plums, or "umeboshi," will be distributed to visitors, who will be able to redeem them 25 years from now.
"By getting a renewed sense of appreciation for the phrase 'Itadakimasu,' (a phrase said before eating) people can cultivate empathy for others too. I hope there will be more people like this in the future," Koyama commented.
(Japanese original by Sayuri Toda, Niigata Bureau)
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