The Osaka Expo 2025 kicks off on April 13th. And while we’re excited about some pretty niche things like Hello Kitty algae and attendant uniforms, one of Japan’s signature pavilions, Earth Mart, is shaping up to be delightfully delicious. Located within the expo’s Green World zone, Earth Mart will make you rethink and reevaluate the current state of food by exploring new ways of eating through interactive exhibitions and installations. One iconic installation is a chandelier made from 28,000 eggs, a figure that represents the average number of eggs every Japanese person consumes in their lifetime.
The Food Mart is located inside a thatched hut designed by architect Kengo Kuma. It was conceived by writer Kundo Koyama, who spoke at a press briefing yesterday to explain the concept of his Food Mart. Standing under the chandelier of eggs, Koyama explained that the exhibition, modeled after a supermarket, is intended to help visitors reexamine the ingredients they consume while introducing new food-related technologies. “I hope people will realize the weight and significance of the word itadakimasu,” said Koyama at the end, referring to one of the most commonly used Japanese phrases uttered before every meal, that literally means “I humbly receive.”
Beneath the egg chandelier is a visualization of what a fried egg made from 28,000 eggs would look like. And for those who were curious, only egg shells were used for the installation. If they used whole eggs, that would have cost a billion dollars.
