The "Fresh Taiwan" national pavilion led by the Ministry of Culture will evoke traditional Taiwanese marketplace elements at Licensing Japan 2019, a leading international trade show to be held from April 3 through 5 at the Tokyo International Exhibition Center.
The pavilion is designed by UID Create Ltd. (桔禾創意), a Taiwanese design team whose portfolio includes the visual design of this year's Taiwan Lantern Festival in Pingtung County. Taking inspiration from a traditional woven pouch known as the ka-tsì bag (茄芷袋), UID Create decorated the pavilion with a mixture of colors most commonly associated with the bag — reddish orange, blue, and green.
Also added to the design are several elements representing Taiwanese food items that are popular among Japanese tourists. UID Create describes the collection of Taiwan’s original characters at the Fresh Taiwan pavilion as "fresh, high-quality products delivered straight from their production source."
This year, the Ministry is also working with UDN FunLife (聯合數位文創) to lead a delegation of 10 Taiwanese creators of original characters to participate in the licensing fair. They have also been invited to hold a pop-up market at Bunbougu Café, a stationery café on Tokyo's Omotesando Street, from April 1 to 7.
Another highlight of this year's Fresh Taiwan pavilion will be the seamless integration of original Taiwanese characters with augmented reality technology, making it possible for visitors to interact with their favorite characters via smartphone.
Fifteen additional Taiwanese companies have also signed up through the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA), and will be exhibiting their products not only at Licensing Japan, but also at the Production/Studio Expo and AI Expo taking place concurrently at the Tokyo International Exhibition Center.
To promote Taiwan's excellent original characters on the international arena, the Ministry organizes annual delegations comprising creators, brands, and agents to participate in significant licensing shows throughout the world under the banner "Fresh Taiwan." This year, the pavilion will be joining fairs held in Shanghai and Tokyo for the third year straight, to help Taiwan's original characters better define their unique qualities and avoid being outdone by their European, American, and Japanese competitors.
The "Fresh Taiwan" pavilion can be found at West Hall 3, Booth #17-40 from April 3 through 5. More information on Taiwan's original characters can be found at: http://ulicensing.udnfunlife.com/event/FreshTaiwan2019/japan.