The event united Japanese military solemnity and spirituality
55 years after the performance of the Carabinieri band to the 1970 Oska Expo, the protagonist of the inaugural days of the Italian Pavilion returns to Expo 2025.
After the concerts held on the occasion of the opening ceremony and the unveiling of the Olympic Torce of Milan Cortina 2026, the Carabinieri gang pays homage to Japan with an exceptional performance at the Shinto Sanctuary of Kamigamo in Kyoto, one of the oldest and most sacred places in Japan. The sanctuary is a UNESCO heritage.
The event united Japanese military solemnity, opening with the purification rituals led by the great priest Guji Takai: first the ‘Kyome Mizu’, symbolic washing of the hands, then the ‘Oharai’, traditional Shinto ceremony.
The Italian delegation took part in the moment of prayer following the expected ritual: two bows, two beats of hands, one bow. A gesture of deep respect that gave the tone to a meeting with a strong symbolic value.
In the garden of the sanctuary, framed by the flowering of the ‘Sakura Shida’, the gang intoned the Kimigayo, the Japanese national anthem, followed by the Italian one and the triumphant march of the Aida. The public, also arranged on the lawn, followed with participation.
The colonel opened the concert by proudly presenting the carabinieri weapon. Among the most appreciated moments, the gesture of the master who took a child in his arms during the execution. When he started raining, the great priest interpreted the rain as a positive sign: tears of joy by the divinity of the sanctuary, touched by the atmosphere of the event.
The ceremony ended with the donation of a plaque depicting the Virgin and the motto of the weapon, delivered as a sign of friendship between the two cultures. The entry and exit of the band on march have left a strong scenographic imprint, also strengthened by the presence of occasional visitors attracted by the sound.
