Y150

During the Golden Week, I went to Yokohama to check the Expo Y150. I already knew that going to some event or touristic place during the Japanese holidays is something crazy, I am 300% sure now. To feel the croud, I choose the day of the annual international parade. The route started from the Yamashita Park and ended in the Akarenga site and the whole way was reserved by people hours before. About 4,000 people in 80 groups performed during 3 hours with maybe 1/3 really interesting. The Chinese parade sounded pretty impressive but my kids gave up before. Some of the groups appear again on the Akarenga site.

I went to the Osanbashi pier where a free stamp rally was held through a huge room of cardboard boats, more than hundred of them, made by kids and I felt pretty cool. Some of them looked like sculptures. I gave up the stamp rally to spend time watching the work. The hot weather and the crazy croud push me to have a rest on the green top of Osanbashi.

La Machine
Then comes the time to enjoy the "real" events, especially La Machine's Princess in the Hajimari no Mori Event Square. I was a bit wondering if 2,400¥ are worth the event... I will tell you later. Anyway, I did a long route to come and I really wanted to see the spider. 2,400¥ after I was in. You can be really close of the Princess when she is asleep then you are asked to move back for the performance. The wait started 40min before with annoying explanations all along : "please do not cross the line, please do not touch the string, please do not stand here, please be careful, please be aware that you may be sprayed with water..." うるさい！ I waited and get a nice spot even though it was tight. The show is impressive, the machine comes over you making a nice perspective and the movements are like a dance.

To be honest, I was expecting more magic and a longer performance, 20min only. It is impossible to hear the music, kind of ironic after 3/4h of yelling staff. For details, the staff is all Japanese and the other machine is not on site, they must do a turnover. The Hajimari no Mori Event Square also has a food court (I did not get the concept to pay to just enter a restaurant and pay again for your piece of meat), a Tale of Yokohama (from Commodore Perry to today, interesting), the ENEOS Energy Future Pavilion (sponsor... that's all) and another tent with too many people, something about Milk !?

The event stops at 10pm so I had plenty of time to enjoy other shows with . I went to the Nissan Dream Front but the 60min queue made me give up. Same for the Baton anime in the Tomorrow Park, 45min of queue and the baby car not allowed in the line 信じられない！ So I waited 40 min to get the best spot for the Earth Balloon movie while my boy was sleeping. The movie is only 5min... The Tomorrow Park has a Convenient Store inside (same concept as the restaurant : you pay to get inside and you pay to get your stuff)

Either you are ready to run everywhere and wait to get the best spots so you should pay for the 2,400¥ entry fee, either you do not mind being a little behind and then you can see everything from outside, 0¥ and no fight. The organization is high level. Security every corner, staff every square meter but I have to conclude that it does not worth so much money and energy. At least do not go with small kids.

La Machine -Yokohama

A preview of the incredible show. Next from April 28 to September 27.
Japan Times

Port de Yokohama - 150e anniversaire

Yokohama fete les 150 ans de l'ouverture de son port. La date anniversaire est le 2 juin 2009. Plusieurs evenements viendront ponctuer les festivites dont pour commencer une troupe francaise, la compagnie de François Delarozière La Machine.

Deux de ses machines artistiques et magiques, dont La Princesse deja presentee a Liverpool, seront sur le port de Yokohama vers le Akarenga le samedi 18 avril (11h~19h) et le dimanche 19 avril (14h~20h30).

Plusieurs sites dedies au 150e anniversaire sont dispatches dans Yokohama. Le Bayside Area accueillera la performance mecanique du 28 avril au 27 septembre tous les jours sauf les week-ends.


This will be soon the 150th anniversery of Port of Yokohama opening. To celebrate, many events will be held, as for a start the french company "La Machine" with two artistic mecha. One is "the Princess" that was alrealdy shown in Liverpool.
April 18th (11h~19h) and April 19th (14h~20h30) in the Red Bricks Warehouses (Yokohama Akarenga)
Then they will have daily performance (except week ends) on one of the Anniversary dedicated place Bayside Area from April 28th to September 2http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif7th

City of Yokohama - event site (eng) (jp)
La machine (fr)
UPDATE: The princess arriving in Yokohama click here and here(jp)