Japan Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai announces fifth wave of sponsors Group of seven new sponsors and donors includes avatarin Inc. and Corporation

TOKYO, , December 11, 2020—The Japanese government is moving forward with preparations for the exhibits at the Expo 2020 Dubai Japan Pavilion.

The following three companies have now been finalized as the latest official sponsors of the Japan Pavilion: avatarin Inc., Panasonic Corporation*, and Yamaha Corporation. *Panasonic Corporation was previously announced as part of the first wave of sponsors on July 29, 2019. The company is being recognized again in this press release after committing to provide further sponsorship support.

Additionally, four companies—Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., CORPORATION, UNION CORPORATION JAPAN, and THE MATCHA Co., Ltd.—will be providing donations.

The Japan Pavilion continues to seek sponsors and donors. Interested parties are requested to get in touch using the contact information below.

Inquiries about Japan Pavilion sponsorship and donation opportunities: Contact: KUBO Masami / YAMAZAKI Makiko International Exhibitions Promotion Office Commerce and Service Industry Policy Group Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry Tel: +81-3-3501-0289 E-mail: [email protected]

1 ■Sponsors The following three companies have been newly confirmed as sponsors of the Japan Pavilion, bringing the total number of sponsors to 30 companies and one organization (as of December 11, 2020).

avatarin Inc. (Chuo-ku, TOKYO, JAPAN / CEO FUKABORI Akira) avatarin’s mission is to expand humanity’s potential by offering new abilities through avatars.

The company is focused on developing a next-generation mobility platform that will enable anyone to connect, communicate, and collaborate with others from a distance via robotic avatar to help humanity overcome many of its global challenges.

Panasonic Corporation (Kadoma-shi, , JAPAN / Representative Director, President TSUGA Kazuhiro) Panasonic Corporation is a worldwide leader in the development of diverse electronics technologies and solutions for customers in the consumer electronics, housing, automotive, and B2B businesses. The company, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2018, has expanded globally operating 528 subsidiaries and 72 associated companies worldwide as of March 2020.

Yamaha Corporation (Hamamatsu-shi, SHIZUOKA, JAPAN / President and Representative Executive Officer NAKATA Takuya)

■Donors The following four companies have been confirmed as donors to the Japan Pavilion.

Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Chiyoda-ku, TOKYO, JAPAN / President and Representative Director INOUE Makoto)

NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION (Chiyoda-ku, TOKYO, JAPAN / President HASHIMOTO Eiji)

UNION CORPORATION JAPAN (Nishi-ku, OSAKA, JAPAN / President and CEO TATENO Junzo)

THE MATCHA TOKYO Co., Ltd (Shibuya-ku, TOKYO, JAPAN / CEO NAGATA Masahiro)

2 ■About the Japan Pavilion As the new opening date for the expo approaches, visit the official website at https://expo2020- dubai.go.jp/ for the most up-to-date information on the Japan Pavilion’s exhibits, as well as related events to be held both within and outside Japan in the lead-up to Expo 2020 Dubai. A leaflet about the Japan Pavilion is also available at https://media.expo2020-dubai.go.jp/japan-pavilion.pdf.

The Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan has appointed the following PR Ambassadors to communicate to a wider audience about Expo 2020 Dubai and the Japan Pavilion: Mr. KAMON Tatsuo (singer/songwriter), Kanjani Eight (pop group), Ms. YAMAZAKI Naoko (astronaut), Ms. WAKATSUKI Yumi (actress), UAE students in Tokai University Takanawadai High School, Gundam (anime character from “Mobile Suit Gundam”), and Pokémon.

Japan Pavilion organizing team: Organizer: Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry Co-organizers: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications; Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology; Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries; Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Participating organization: Japan External Trade Organization

■About Expo 2020 Dubai

Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first registered world expo held in a Middle Eastern or African country. Scheduled to take place over a 182-day period from October 1, 2021, to March 31, 2022, the event will herald the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the host nation, the United Arab Emirates, and is expected to attract 25 million visitors. A total of 192 countries have declared their intention to set up exhibits on the 438-hectare venue grounds, responding to the expo’s overarching theme of “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future” and its three subthemes: Mobility, Opportunity, and Sustainability. Official website: https://www.expo2020dubai.com

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Other inquiries about the Japan Pavilion: Contact: TANAKA Nozomi Expo 2020 Dubai Japan Pavilion PR Office Tel: +81-70-4316-1379 Email: [email protected] Hours: 9:30–17:30 (JST, closed Sat., Sun., and holidays)

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