The Japanese have long believed that when a phoenix descends from the heavens, a new era of peace and prosperity will begin. On March 31, 1893, Japanese and Americans gathered together in the heartland of America, on the Wooded Island in Chicago, to prepare for the opening of the World’s Columbian Exposition. They gathered to celebrate the arrival of a Phoenix that would take the form of a pavilion, which they hoped would teach the world about Japan, and, in turn, would  lead us to learn about each other and ourselves.