CLOSURE OF EXPO 2025 OSAKA

CLOSURE OF EXPO 2025 OSAKA

by | Oct 20, 2025 | Uncategorized

The 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo closed on the 13th of October 2025 attracting more than 25 million visitors, according to the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition. Despite the rising costs and the delays in the construction of the pavilions, the opening of the event registered a positive attention, with a high number of posts and shared contents on social media. Among the most popular pavilions, with lines exceeding five hours on some peak days, lies the Italian Pavilion, particularly appreciated for the presence of genuine works of art, first of all the historical ones.

The Italian economic success and cultural primacy of Osaka

The conclusion of 2025 Expo Osaka produced a financial record for the Italian Pavilion, which hosted a high number of events, for a total of 791. Among these, 210 were of economic nature, underlining the attention of the Pavilion towards the promotion of Made in Italy and the internationalization of Italian companies. The Italian Pavilion witnessed business meetings and networking activities, which involved in six months more than 7.500 representatives of Italian, Japanese and other foreign companies. A significant part of the record is made of about 1 billion and 776 million euros in investments and contracts, among which emerge the ones acquired by Danieli firm in Japan for a total of 200 million euros.

Beyond the economic aspect, the Italian Pavilion also excelled in the cultural field, gaining the recognition as cultural leader of Expo 2025 Osaka. The international magazine Esquire also mentioned the Italian record, recognizing its merit for “the high culture”. The Pavilion has hosted 410 events and 184 performances in the internal theatre involving institutions and artists, such as Giovanni Allievi, Roberto Bolle, the Umbria Jazz e the Night of Taranta. Its cultural contribution will continue after the official closing day of the Exposition, as shown by the exhibition “Atlante Farnese and the Treasures of the Italy Pavilion from the Expo 2025 Osaka” at the Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts until January 2026, which will exhibit the Farnese Atlas, the “Gonfalone della Giustizia” by Perugino and two new sheets of the Atlantic Code by Leonardo da Vinci.

 

 

The Italian Ministry of Education and Merit has played a crucial role by promoting, together with the Italian Commission for Expo 2025 Osaka, a strategic partnership involving around 60 students of the most important Italian universities. Moreover, it focused on the strengthening of the scientific, economic and cultural relations between Italy, Japan and other countries of the Asia-Pacific region, through an enhancement of the university system, of the research and of the artistic, musical and choreutical education.

The Awards

 The Italian Pavilion gained the first prize in the category Theme Development from the Bureau international des expositions (BIE), organization responsible for assigning and supervising the awards during international expositions. It is the most prestigious award given during the Universal Expo and has marked a milestone without precedent in the history of the Italian participation to Expo. The Italian Pavilion, designed by the architect Mario Cucinella, adopts the theme “Art Regenerate Life” and offers a modern interpretation of the Ideal Renaissance City. The structure, made by wood with a particular focus on sustainability, includes multiple areas, such as a theatre, a porch, a square and a garden. The aim is to convey and value the Italian image around the world, focusing on inclusivity and craftmanship applied to new technologies. It deserves a mention the Innovation Award given to the Pavilion for the project “Docodemo Expo”, which consists in promoting a virtual visit of the Exposition for the hospitalized children, made possible thanks to a camera placed on a robot.

The contribution made by the Milanese company Rimond also resulted in the awarding of gold and bronze in the Architecture and Landscape category for the Pavilions of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Although this being the company third time attending the Expo, the founder Giuseppe Chiarandà recognized the new challenge presented by the working dynamics and the Japanese context, which required an unprecedented international collaboration. The Saudi Pavilion, designed by the famous architect Norman Foster, is thought as an urban microcosm, which recalls the traditional villages through the honeycomb pattern created on the building walls by limestone slabs on aluminum sheets. It opens with a courtyard inhabited by autochthonous vegetation functioning as an environmental filter, then it proceeds to an area made by typical narrow streets and it ends with the Saudi Courtyard, a place for contemplation during the day and for entertainment at night. The project of the Emirati pavilion, given to Rimond for the engineering and innovational side, adopts the Expo theme ““Empowering Lives”, focusing on tradition, sustainability and technological research. Among the distinctive elements, Chiarandà mentions the 90 columns-rachis, 17 meter high, covered with date palm wood slats and with an internal steel structure that ensures solidity and resistance. The external environment is made by a combination between Emirati aesthetics, traditional Japanese elements and furnishing made of recycled or regenerated materials.

Overall, the Italian participation at the Universal Exposition has ended positively, strengthening the cultural and international position of Italy as a nation.

 Our Osaka Colleague, Kenichi Yokofujita

 

 

Osaka Expo Overview

Osaka Expo Overview

by | May 9, 2025 | Uncategorized

From April 13th to October 13th there will be an ongoing Expo in Osaka, precisely at the Yumeshima Island, an artificial island located on the waterfront in Osaka that offers visitors a view of the Seto Inland Sea. The main theme is “Designing a Future Society for Our Lives”. The Expo 2025 in Osaka will be an opportunity for the world to come together in one place under the theme of “Life”, fostering the exchange of diverse values from around the world, encouraging new connections and creations, overcoming global challenges and safeguarding each and every life.

By reflecting on the essence of life and how we live, the Osaka Expo aims to preserve a vision of hope for the future: Saving, Empowering and Connecting Lives are, in fact, the three interconnected sub-themes of the Expo.

People’s Living Lab – A laboratory for the future society

This concept represents the Expo’s approach toward putting its theme into practice and serves as a guideline for projects to be implemented in this Expo to evolve its style into a place for more practical actions. It can be said that the most distinctive characteristic of this Expo will be the endeavor to give a realistic picture of a future society not just through thought but also through action.

This endeavor began before the Expo, as diverse participants were invited to come together with various initiatives, such as health and medical initiatives and initiatives concerning carbon neutrality and digitization in their respective countries and tackle challenges whose solution will help achieve the SDGs at or outside the Expo venue. Positioning the Expo venue as a laboratory where new technologies and systems will be verified, we will raise it into a huge apparatus that will trigger the creation of innovations by diverse players and apply those innovations to real society.

The long duration of the event, 183 days, is precisely why there is such a wide variety of pavilions, with over 160 countries, regions, and international organizations participating. The actual total construction cost is 235 billion yen, nearly double the 125 billion yen originally estimated at the time of the event’s bid, making it a much-anticipated event. In addition, there are eight signature pavilions created by producers from various fields, including data science specialist Miyata Hiroaki, robotics specialist Ishiguro Hiroshi, biology specialist Fukuoka Shinichi, and television writer Koyama Kundo.

There are also 13 private pavilions created by companies such as NTT, Panasonic, Bandai Namco, and Yoshimoto Kogyo, each of which is sure to generate a lot of buzz. There are also a ton of other shows and events to look forward to. Other events planned include “One World, One Planet”, a show that combines sound, lighting, projection mapping, a drone show, and more; the water and air spectacular “Blue and Night Rainbow Parade”, “National Days” by participating countries and regions, “Special Days” by international organizations, and public recordings of music, sports, festivals, and programs.

About Myakumyaku

Following the logo mark as another symbol of Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan, the official character aims to be loved by and familiar to people all over the world. Its nickname, Myakumyaku, has two different concepts, as myaku-myaku means both “continuously” and “pulse”.

At first glance, their identities are a mystery, and they are by no means cute, but once you see them, they are memorable, and their topicality is what makes them stand out: a mysterious creature born from the union of cells and water. Its true identity is unknown. The red parts are “cells” that divide and multiply. The blue parts are “clear water” that can change shape as it flows. It seems to be changing into various shapes in search of who it wants to be, and its current form is one that imitates a human. However, it sometimes changes its form so much that it forgets its original form. Going outside and basking in the sunlight is its source of energy. It also loves rainy days, and can absorb rain into its body.

Guinness World Records “The Great Ring Roof”

Recognized as one of the world’s largest wooden structures, the Great Ring Roof is a symbol of the 2025 Expo in Osaka, and represents the venue design philosophy of “diverse yet united”. The ring-shaped structure, with a circumference of about two kilometers, covers an area of approximately 60,000 square meters, stands between 12 and 22 meters in height, has an inner diameter of about 615 meters, and is 30 meters wide. It was constructed by combining modern construction methods with the traditional nuki (cross-section) joints that have been used in the architecture of Japanese shrines and temples.

As the main flow of traffic within the venue, it will function as a smooth transportation space, while also providing a comfortable waiting space that provides protection from rain, wind, and sunlight.

In an interview for the Japanese Public Relations Office, the architect responsible for the design, Sou Fujimoto stated about the role of the Grand Ring at the Expo site: “The Ring Ground Walk and Ring Sky Walk form a circular route that allows people to move freely. It features a main flow line to avoid congestion, and serves as shelter from rain, wind and sun, while also incorporating multiple navigation systems, including signage. This circular route is designed to spark curiosity about what lies beyond. From the elevated Sky Walk, visitors can enjoy views of the calm waters of the Seto Inland Sea at sunset and panoramic distant views of Osaka and Kobe. Gazing skyward, you will see a clear, unified sky.”

In the end, popular pavilions require advance reservations, so if you want to plan your visit, it’s a good idea to check the schedule. There are various events and reviews to look forward to until the end of the event.

Yokofujita Kenichi – Hong Kong Office

All the images and text are from:

https://www.expo2025.or.jp/en

https://www.gov-online.go.jp/en