KYOTO — Eighty years ago, an exhibition was held in Kyoto to celebrate Emperor Hirohito's ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne.
It was a grand affair in the style of a world expo, with lavish pavilions showcasing Japan's might as an industrial and colonial power. Over 3 million attendees turned out for this Imperial bash. One of them, though, was not human.
A short walk from the Imperial Palace where the Emperor's coronation ceremony was held, a towering golden figure presided over a shadowy pavilion done up like a Greek temple.
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