The 2025 World Expo in Osaka, slated to take place in Osaka, is just 6 months away. Taking place from April 13 to October 13, 2025, the expo aims to be a participatory, experiential, solutions-oriented exposition, offering the world an opportunity to come together in one place to explore a new vision forward. And as details are beginning to leak out, here are a few things we’re excited about seeing at the host country’s Japan Pavilion.
The Pavilion Itself
The Japan Pavilion will be comprised of a great circle of innumerable wooden planks: 260 cross-laminated timber (CLT) planks, to be exact. The circular structure is meant to embody the cycle of life and stands as a distinct presence befitting the host country’s pavilion.
Peering between them, visitors can catch glimpses of the interior, inspiring an understanding of what lies “between.” It was designed by Nikken Sekkei with oversight from Nendo’s Oki Sato, and is expected to be completed by February.
The Attendant Uniforms
The attendants of the Japan Pavilion will play a key role in representing the host country, and will serve multiple functions as visitors pass through. And they will do it all with grace and style, thanks to fashion designer Yuya Tanaka of the brand Postelegant.
Based on the structure of the traditional Japanese kimono, the garments are designed to be worn by all genders and ages, and embody the aesthetic of Japan while emphasizing a balance between beauty and functionality. They’re comfortable, heat resistant and also environmentally friendly: made from plant-based polyester fibers and recycled fibers made from used PET bottles.
Hello Kitty Algae
From the more obscure closterium and diatom to the more common wakame and hijiki, commonly found on Japanese dinner tables, a diverse array of algae exist. And there is a growing body of scientific studies that say they could help solve global challenges like our reliance on fossil fuels and food shortages.
Hello Kitty, one of Japan’s most-beloved cultural symbols, will help communicate the appeal of algae in a collab that will see the global pop icon in 32 different algae costumes.
The Visual System
Created by graphic designer Yoshiaki Irobe (previously), the visual system at the Japan Pavilion is another kind of living organism. It breathes and grows, splitting and fusing again and again, always changing. It represents the purpose of the Pavilion: to turn our eyes toward that which lies between lives, and impress guests with memories not of a design, but of a process.
Myaku Myaku
Ok, we cheated with this one because Myaku Myaku, the official character of the Osaka Expo, will be everywhere: not just the Japan Pavilion. But ever since it was announced, we haven’t been able to get enough of the mysterious, googly eyed creature. And we can be sure that it will make an appearance in the Japan Pavilion as well.
