"Aqua Metropolis Osaka 2009," showcasing Osaka's charms as a water
city, opened Aug. 22 and will last until Oct. 12 under the theme of
"Osaka, living with rivers." It is rolling out a variety of programs
for visitors to enjoy themselves in close contact with the waterside.
Nakanoshima Park in Osaka City, the main venue of the event, has been
turned into a "Waterfront Bunkaza Cultural Plaza," introducing 100 ways
to enjoy the waterside. Among them are various hands-on art activities
such as using plastic bottles and discarded material to produce art
objects. The venue transforms into an "island of illuminations" after
sunset with lighting arranged by artists. Visitors can enjoy watching a
fantastic Nakanoshima Park different from its daytime image.
Morning markets selling specialty products from across Japan and cafes
are among the attractions featured at Hachikenya-hama, another event
site, where a 5-m-tall object sprays mist into the air and creates a
water curtain, producing a distinctive world of images, music and
illumination (photo). The lights add color to bridges lit up in the
surrounding areas - Nishiki, Naniwa and Tenjin bridges - and their
beautiful reflections swaying on the surface of the river heighten the
attractiveness of strolling by the waterside and night cruising.
Also, boat cruising and live jazz music performances are held in a
square area of the city surrounded by rivers, with its periphery
regarded as a "corridor of water." Inside the corridor, paintings and
modern art works are on exhibit, capitalizing on historical buildings
and open space.About a million visitors are expected during the event.
Osaka has square-shaped "corridors" formed by five rivers. This isuncommon in Japan, or even around the world, that such corridors ofrivers exist within an urban center. In order to highlight these watercorridors, various development and revitalization projects are nowunderway. The Aqua Metropolis 2009 over the 52 days will host the ArtBoats project, Riverfront Market, Water front "SocialExperiment"project, Illumination of bridges, Aqua Metropolis ArtCorridor, Commemorative Symposium and many more exciting events.
Over view of Aqua Metropolis Osaka 2009
Theme
Osaka, living with Rivers
Keywords
Cooperation, Inheritance, and Continuity
Basic concepts
- Create attractive features of Aqua Metropolis Osaka, and communicate them to the world.
- Create a livelier and more beautiful Osaka based on public initiatives.
- Contribute to urban development so that the effects of this event will be sustained and the accumulation of urban assets and mechanisms promoted.
Schedule
August 22(Sat.) to October 12(Mon., holiday), 2009 [52 days]
* In 2009, the ongoing redevelopment of theNakanoshima area will be almost completed. On top of this, 2009 is the100th anniversary of the completion of the Yodo-gawa River ImprovementWork. With these in mind, we have designated 2009 as a symbolic yearfor the development of Osaka as a Water Metropolis. We will thereforeimplement a wide range of projects, with cooperation from citizens,businesses and other organizations, and by linking these projects toother existing projects. Aqua Metropolis Osaka 2009 will be viewed asthe core undertaking among these projects.
Organizer
The Aqua Metropolis Osaka 2009 Executive Committee (Chairperson: Kunio Hiramatsu, Mayor of Osaka)
[ Constituent organizations ]
Kansai Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI-KANSAI); KinkiRegional Development Bureau of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure,Transport and Tourism; Kinki District Transport Bureau of the Ministryof Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism; Osaka PrefecturalGovernment; the City of Osaka; Kansai Economic Federation; OsakaChamber of Commerce and Industry; Kansai Association of CorporateExecutives; Osaka 21st Century Association; Osaka Convention &Tourism Bureau
Producers
Fram Kitagawa(Art Director), Shinya Hashizume(Professor, Osaka Prefecture University)
General Advisor
Tadao Ando (Architect, Professor Emeritus, University of Tokyo)
Project Objectives
[Art]
- Promote urban development through art projects that can facilitate interaction and cooperation with public.
- Facilitate the realization of more beautiful urban space.
- Facilitate the fostering and gathering of creative persons.
[Civic participation]
- Generate a driving force for the creation of future society by promoting active participation of public, who are the leaders of the city.
- Facilitate civic participation as the main users of the city.
- Facilitate quantitative expansion and qualitative improvement of civil activities.
[Vision to the future]
Establish the city's brand image as the Water Metropolis and make it widely known.
- Create attractive sceneries and cultures.
- Foster and gather persons who will actively participate in urban development.
- Create diverse communication networks, such as a network of artists, public, and local communities.
- Create lively spaces through new ways of using waterfronts.
- Create various models and mechanisms for urban development.
For schedule of events and other information visit : Aqua Metropolis Osaka
- Event highlights -
Art Boats project, Riverfront Market, Water front "Social Experiment"project, Illumination of bridges, Aqua Metropolis Art Corridor, Commemorative Symposium and more.
http://www.suito-osaka2009.jp/
http://www.suito-osaka2009.jp/download/pamphlet_english.pdf
Aqua Metropolis related news: March Reneissance News