Conceived as a structure that breathes like a living organism, Japan's World Expo 2010 Pavilion, nicknamed the "purple silkworm island' (zi can dao), combines traditional Japanese knowledge for living in harmony with the environment with the latest environmental control and materials technology.

With that in mind, it showcases a variety of sustainable techonologies, including floorboards that can generate electricity and a machine that can turn sewage into drinking water. The harmony of nature is even reflected in the color of the buiding; a reddish violet, symbolizing both the red of the sun and the blue of the ocean. Covered in a transparent membrane, the structure looks not dissimilar to Beijing's Olympic Water Cube.

A further theme is promoting ties between Japan and China, particularly in the first of three zones, the "Wonders of Connections". A centerpiece performance of the pavilion (in the theatrical third zone) will be a 20 minute opera which combines both China's Kunqu opera (like that on show at Suzhou's Opera Museum) and Japan's Noh drama and focuses on the story of the crested ibis, a rare bird that has avoided extinction in Japan thanks to China's help. The show is the result of a collaboration between Makoto Sato, a leading figure in the Japanese theater world, and Shanghai local Danny Yung.

Built on a budget of 13 billion yen (US$143 million), the 24-meter-high pavilion is both the largest and most expensive the country has ever built for a World Expo.

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