Leaders from 21 Asia-Pacific economies are expected to pledge to work toward creating a vast free trade area at a weekend summit, but frictions over currencies and geopolitical rivalries will also dominate their weekend gathering in Yokohama. After all that heated debate in Seoul over currencies and global imbalances, Asia-Pacific leaders are being treated to "Cool Japan" at the summit this weekend in Yokohama.
The 21 leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation forum -- nine of whom were in Seoul for the Group of 20 summit -- have gathered in Japan's port city of Yokohama, just south of Tokyo, to talk about a new growth strategy and a giant free trade zone.
They are being made to sit in plush arm chairs around around a "digital pond" - a video screen shaped like a fish pond - in which virtual koi swim, and virtual leaves fall around a virtual stand of bamboo.
It is meant to make the leaders feel like they are in a retreat in the autumn woods, a media handout says.
In the anteroom of this retreat, the leaders will view a showcase of traditional items as well as exhibits representing modern, high-tech Japan.
Borrowing a slogan used for promoting Britain, it is being called "Cool Japan".
Perhaps the atmosphere will be an antidote to the sometimes heated discussions at the G20 meeting in Seoul this week, where sharp divisions between China and the United States about their respective currencies were on display.
The 21 leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation forum -- nine of whom were in Seoul for the Group of 20 summit -- have gathered in Japan's port city of Yokohama, just south of Tokyo, to talk about a new growth strategy and a giant free trade zone.
They are being made to sit in plush arm chairs around around a "digital pond" - a video screen shaped like a fish pond - in which virtual koi swim, and virtual leaves fall around a virtual stand of bamboo.
It is meant to make the leaders feel like they are in a retreat in the autumn woods, a media handout says.
In the anteroom of this retreat, the leaders will view a showcase of traditional items as well as exhibits representing modern, high-tech Japan.
Borrowing a slogan used for promoting Britain, it is being called "Cool Japan".
Perhaps the atmosphere will be an antidote to the sometimes heated discussions at the G20 meeting in Seoul this week, where sharp divisions between China and the United States about their respective currencies were on display.
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