Expo Granny's great day out

• Source: Global Times
• [13:39 June 25 2010]
• Comments

When asked why she didn't spend the money on a real trip around the world, Yamada said that she thought that getting all the visas for the different countries would be a hassle, though in past interviews she has detailed how she spent more than four years traveling back and fourth from Japan to Shanghai to prepare for the Shanghai Expo, which she described as an unprecedented event that would be the best World Expo ever held.

Furthermore, an official from the visa department of the Japanese Consulate in Shanghai told the Global Times that Japanese citizens can travel to many countries that are tourist destinations on a free three-month visitor visa.

Nonetheless, Yamada defended the time she spent preparing for the event. "You can't see the entire Expo in just one day, you have to make a comprehensive plan," she said.

According to local media, Yamada's passport contained more than 18 multiple entry visas that went back more than four years. She also recruited her son, Yamada Kazuhiro, who quit his job as a teacher to accompany her and work as a guide for the Japan Pavilion.

A meticulous nature

Despite the long lines at many of the Expo pavilions, Yamada managed to visit them all largely through meticulous planning. "Every day, my son helped me figure out a route," she said.

According to local media, Yamada has a notebook that details each day of her visit with times for entering and exiting each pavilion planned down to the minute. To make each trip as convenient as possible, Yamada marked each destination on a map of the Expo Park and traveled accordingly.

She also used her notebook to record the names of the people she met, the things she saw and the stamps she got each day. She has two file folders that hold the record of her daily impressions of her visits of Expo Park, as well as her ticket stubs.

Yamada's experience has given her some expertise about the Expo Park, such as where one can get the best picture of different pavilions. "If you want to get a panoramic view of the China Pavilion, you must go to the other side of Huangpu River. The No.3 Ferry Terminal is the best place to take a photo," she said.

Yamada herself has taken more than 60,000 photos of the Shanghai Expo, including shots from before the event's opening. "I observed the entire process of how the China and Japan pavilions were built, just like I watched how my own child grew up," she said.