A Spectacle of Air and Water
It is said that there is an island on which all living creatures hold a special festival to celebrate a rainbow that occurs in the middle of the night.
It isn’t just celebrated by animals. The insects, plants, and even creatures long extinct are said to appear as part of the festivities.
A child named Ao stumbles upon one of these rare rainbows.
Before Ao’s eyes, something strange begins to happen…
Introducing the Moonbow Festival, a spectacular immersive show based around the themes of air and water, scheduled to be held at Expo 2025 at the Water Plaza, a symbolic area of the World Expo.
The show will feature roughly 300 fountains and water screen projection in combination with music, lasers, fire and other dazzling elements, all coming together to form an innovative and multimedia entertainment experience on a grand scale.
Sunday, April 13, to Wednesday, April 30
First performance: From 19:10
Second performance: From 20:30
Thursday, May 1, to Sunday, August 31
First performance: From 19:30
Second performance: From 20:30
Monday, September 1, to Monday, October 13
First performance: From 19:10
Second performance: From 20:30
A child from the island. They love nature and living creatures. They live alone with their grandmother.
Born in 2008, age 16. (B-Pro) She joined the Ookina Yume children's theatre group in her first year of elementary school. She has been active primarily in musicals, including the role of young Nala in the Fukuoka production of the Shiki Theatre Company's "the Lion King" (2019-2020). She has won numerous awards, including the Grand Prize in the Intermediate Division of the English Vocal Election (2021) and Gold/Grand Prix award in the All Japan Children's Singing Competition Middle School Division (2024).
A strange bird that Ao meets.
Born in Ehime Prefecture, she won the NHK Award for Best Upcoming Performer and the NHK Kamigata Manzai Contest in 2003.
In 2019, she won the Best Supporting Actress Award at the 28th Japan Movie Critics Award for her role in Uso happyaku (2018)
She is also active as the singer Chieko Mizutani and as professional middle-aged part-timer Kazuo Nisho.
She is also starring in the suspense show on the YouTube channel Film-est TV, Hot Springs Mystery: Dogo Stripper Serial Murders.
From August 2025, she will hold the Chieko Mizutani 50th anniversary commemorative performance at the Meijiza, Shinkabukiza, and Hakataza theatres.
Ao’s grandmother, who has lived for many years on the island.
After debuting as a singer in 1973, she expanded her acting career in the 1980s to the theater and films and received several awards like the Ministry of Education Award for Arts/Best New Artist. In 1993 she established an artistic expression that maximizes her physical ability in her own conceptual performing art project: “IMPRESSIONIST.” She has dominated three major theatre festivals in the world: Sibiu Arts Festival, the Avignon Theater Festival and the Edinburgh Theater Festival. She keeps on working actively in a wide variety of fields, such as music support activities for developing countries under the “One of Love project”, narrating Mukashibanashi no Oheya (The room of folk tale) by BS TBS, and djing for FM Yokohama “Life Goes On - SOIXANTE BLUES -” every Friday. As a voice actress, she has been in the Studio Ghibli animation Spirited Away, Isle of Dogs directed by Wes Anderson, and Walt Disney's Moana.
Expo 2025 | Under the Midnight Rainbow Promo Video
The folk song sung by the protagonist, Ao, during the story.
The music video tells the story of a rainbow appearing at night,
which happened before Ao was born.
Theme Song：Niji-matsuri - Dancing under the Rainbow -
A Show Where Music and Fountains Enchant
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A Miraculous Experience Where Water Responds to Your Every Move
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A Digital Experience Where You Meet Living Creatures
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Step into the Virtual Expo Show
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From Suntory and Daikin.
Air and water.
They have been on this planet for billions of years,
and to this day they continue to change form
while flowing through the sky, the ocean, the land,
and all the living things that have roamed the earth.
It is from them that every living thing on the planet is born, grows strong, and flourishes.
This made us think.
“Air and water contain wisdom.”
There must be something that these elements, which have seen everything that has come to pass on earth, can teach us about the future.
We created a show based on this concept.
Expo Osaka 2025 will be an event where people from all over the world can share their ideas about creating a society where life flourishes.
Our production will be another participant to this incredible event.
We hope that together we can enjoy new experiences and encounter new emotions that help lead us to a better tomorrow.
SUNTORY｜DAIKIN
Creative Director
He creates new expressions and experiences through flexibly combining copywriting, design, technology, and more. He continues to deliver borderless and powerful experiences, including the TOKYO 2020 Paralympic Games Opening Ceremony "PARAde of Athletes", and "All Players Welcome", showcasing a blend of inclusivity and creativity. He is the first Japanese creator to receive the THEA Catalyst Award, an international entertainment award.
Composer/ Arranger/ Music Producer
＜Notable Work＞
Composition and Arrangement of NHK’s song Flowers Will Bloom "Hana wa saku" to support the reconstruction efforts for the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
Composition and Arrangement for "Cowboy Bebop”(TV Anime Series 1998 / Live-Action Series 2021 by Netflix), "Macross Frontier” and "Ghost in the Shell - Stand Alone Complex-"
Composition, Arrangement and Conducting of "Ray of Water", the celebration song for the National Festival of the 20th Anniversary of His Majesty The Emperor’s Ascension to the Throne
Composition and Arrangement for the Netflix series "The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House", directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda
Featured in the 2023 edition of Newsweek's "100 Japanese People the World Respects"
ECA2 creates unforgettable memories through multi-sensorial experiences, crafted from art and technology pushed beyond every limit.For almost 35 years, ECA2 has been the guarantee of outstanding quality for shows worldwide, devising unique creations for special events such as World Expos, Olympic Ceremonies and permanent shows for theme parks and tourism Destinations.Thanks to a recognized flexibility and bold vision, ECA2 has succeeded in producing more than sixty emblematic shows in seventeen countries.From resident shows and one-night sensations that spotlight a destination, city or country, we put local uniqueness on show for all the world to experience.
Air and water.
They have been on this planet for billions of years,
Flowing through the sky, the ocean, the land, and all the living things that have roamed the earth.
That glass of water you drank today might have quenched the thirst of a triceratops.
The air you breathe today could be the air in the sky of the distant future.
Air and water have wisdom.
The wisdom to guide us to a better tomorrow.
The wisdom to show us what we should do today.
There’s a place on this planet with pure water and clean air. A home to all manner of living things. An island that sparkles with life’s essence.
On this island, there’s an old saying. “On nights when a rainbow is cast across the moon, a festival is held by mysterious creatures.” Animals, insects, and even creatures long extinct are said to take part.
One night, Ao, a child who lived on this island, encountered Dodo, a mysterious bird who referred to itself as a spirit. “When a rainbow is cast across the moon, the memories of the water and air that roamed the planet for 4 billion years come rushing back,” Dodo said. It just so happened to be one of those nights. Creatures that Ao had never seen before gathered beneath the midnight rainbow. The celebration commenced, and all the creatures sang and danced with delight. However, just as the festivities were getting underway, the world around them was suddenly transformed. Scenes of nature’s destruction unfolded around Ao and all the creatures—a new trial had begun. In the midst of all of this, Dodo asked Ao to sing a certain song. The fate of the festival and all who were there was linked to this song and its mysterious meaning. What would become of Ao and all who had gathered under the Midnight Rainbow?
Please be aware of the following information before making a reservation and attending the show:
A Show Where Music and Fountains Enchant
This is a 5-minute daytime water show held at the Water Plaza. The fountains move to a light piano arrangement of the music used in the evening performance. The show’s theme, “Air and Water,” is represented through the nearly 300 fountains stretched across the water. At the Water Plaza, open to both sea and sky, visitors can enjoy the harmony created by water, air, music, and dancing fountains.
A Miraculous Experience Where Water Responds to Your Every Move
A grand interactive experience during which guests can “control” approximately 300 fountains through their own movements as water rises in accordance with their gestures. After the “A Symphony of Air and Water” show, guide staff will appear* at the Water Plaza to guide selected guests through free movement under their guidance. As the fountains respond to your body’s motion in various patterns, you may feel as if you have become a wizard of the elements.
A Digital Experience Where You Meet Living Creatures
Upon raising your smartphone within Expo grounds, a magical parade of creatures floating through the air will appear on your screen through AR technology. These creatures will parade from various locations around the venue toward the Water Plaza, inviting people to join in on the “festivities.” Visitors can take photographs with these ethereal creatures to create a lasting memory of their Expo experience. This experience can be enjoyed by scanning a QR code in the venue with a smartphone or tablet—no need to download a special app.
Step into the Virtual Expo Show
The Virtual site provides contents that allow visitors in the virtual space to experience the world of A Spectacle of Air and Water “Under the Midnight Rainbow,” which will be held at the Expo. Underneath the enchanting scenery of a rainbow on a moonlit night, visitors will experience the world of the show more profoundly by joining Ao, the main character, and her sidekick Dodo, the spirit of air and water, in taking part in a festival inhabited with wonderous living creatures. Not only will the site recreate the production of the actual show in virtual reality, but it will also incorporate interactive elements that enable visitors to participate in the story. As visitors further immerse themselves in the experience of being an island resident, they will start to gain a greater appreciation for the importance of the bonds between water, air, and life itself.
Artist : Yoko Kanno
Now streaming and downloads available on platforms such as Apple Music, iTunes Music Store, Spotify, and more.
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