NAGAKUTE, Aichi Pref. -- The Aichi World Expo ended Sunday with gorgeous weather, record crowds and a sense of a job well done among organizers and participants.
By late morning, long lines had formed at most exhibits and venues, with a waiting time of more than four hours for the robot and new energy pavilions. Some visitors from outside Nagoya came to the city the night before and arrived at the entrance gates hours before they opened to ensure they would get into their favorite pavilions.
"We came from Shizuoka last night and arrived at the expo site about 4:30 a.m.," said Hideki Nakamura, a 29-year-old man who camped out in front of the Toyota Pavilion with two friends to see the robots. "We've been standing in line since about 5 a.m. It's better than arriving later and waiting in an even longer line."