Pavilion Satisfaction No. 1? Mysterious Desert Experience at Jordan Expo Exhibit

Jul 23, 2025 | News On Japan

OSAKA - The Jordan Pavilion at the Osaka-Kansai Expo has become a standout attraction, offering a multi-sensory desert experience that includes red sand from a UNESCO World Heritage site, spa treatments with Dead Sea mud, sand art workshops, and even a sweet, spiced date shake.

Guests can walk barefoot on fine red sand brought from the Wadi Rum desert in Jordan, enjoy immersive 360-degree visuals of the country’s landscapes, and experience interactive displays such as glowing ancient stones and Arabic script projections.

Upstairs, the pavilion offers a Dead Sea mud hand treatment, known for its mineral-rich properties and relaxing effects. A sand art section allows visitors to purchase custom-made bottles filled with colored sand designs, including personalized names in Arabic or Japanese. The pavilion also features a café where guests can enjoy a traditional date shake made with dates and cinnamon, described as a sweet and familiar taste for Japanese visitors.

Due to high demand, reservations are required and must be made online on the day of the visit. The pavilion is drawing praise for its immersive design and high level of visitor satisfaction.

Source: MBS

Major Philippines Quake Triggers Tsunami Alert Across Japan

[Updated 5:53 p.m.] A powerful earthquake struck off Mindanao Island in the southern Philippines at 8:38 a.m. (Japan time) on June 8th, generating tsunami waves across parts of the Pacific, causing building collapses and casualties near the epicenter, and prompting the Japan Meteorological Agency to issue tsunami advisories along a wide stretch of Japan's Pacific coastline, which remained in effect as of 5:53 p.m.

Unlicensed Peruvian Man Conducts Risky Medical Procedure During Delivery

A clinic director and a former Peruvian staff member have been referred to prosecutors after the man allegedly performed medical procedures without a license, including an external cephalic version—a procedure used to manually turn a baby into the correct position before birth—at an obstetrics and gynecology clinic in Fukuoka City, raising concerns about patient safety and oversight in maternity care.

Bear Spotted Running Through Central Utsunomiya Shopping District

A large bear was captured on security camera footage running through a shopping arcade in central Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture, in the early hours of June 7th, as authorities stepped up warnings following a series of bear sightings across the city.

Missing American Tourist Found Dead in Mountains Outside Kyoto

The family of James "Weston" Higginbotham, a 20-year-old Auburn University student who disappeared during a family vacation in Japan, announced on June 7th that he has been found dead after a volunteer search-and-rescue group located his body in a mountainous area outside Kyoto, bringing a week-long multinational search to a tragic end.

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Japan's Meteorological Agency announced on June 7th that the rainy season is believed to have begun in the Tokai and Kanto-Koshin regions, marking the seasonal shift to wetter weather across a broad area of the country.

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