Jōtarō Shōji

Jōtarō Shōji is a Japanese man who, as a young worker, experienced the juxtaposition of glamour and struggle during the 1970 World Expo in Osaka. On September 8, 1970, he attended a performance by Marlene Dietrich, moved not only by the music but also by the memory of his friends who had died while working on the expo's construction. Shōji represents the overlooked laborers of Kamagasaki, an impoverished area that housed many of the workers who built the Expo, highlighting the stark contrast between the event's celebratory facade and the harsh realities faced by those who contributed to its success.