Experience the Future Society, Create a Magnificent Living Laboratory
- Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan Opens in April 2025 -

Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan (also known as “the Expo”) will be held on Yumeshima, an artificial island in Osaka Bay, from April 13 to October 13, 2025. It is now about 500 days before the grand opening, and there is growing excitement ahead of the Expo not only in the Osaka-Kansai area, but all over Japan as well.

From the time the Japanese government made its bid to host the World Expo, it has proposed “Designing Future Society for Our Lives” as the main theme. Since the beginning of the 21st century, humankind has resolved numerous issues through international consensus and cooperation, as well as individual efforts by each country. Still, the world is still plagued by many problems. There is still a long way to go before the promise to “leave no one behind” in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) can be fulfilled.

The theme “Designing Future Society for Our Lives” embodies both the ideals of each individual contemplating their own ideal lifestyle to give full play to their potential and the dream of the international community co-creating a sustainable society that makes such lifestyles possible. In addition to accelerating efforts for the achievement of the SDGs, this is an Expo that will challenge visitors to reflect on the question of “What is a happylife?”

By bringing together the wisdom and best practices of the world, the Expo will be able to come up with solutions to the many issues that involve a complex mix of diverse values.

Go, MYAKU-MYAKU

MYAKU-MYAKU, the official character of Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai Japan, is busy with PR activities all over Japan to invite visitors to the Expo.

MYAKU-MYAKU was born in a small spring somewhere in Kansai from the unification of cells and water, according to the story of the birth and characteristics of the mysterious creature on the website of the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition.

The red part is the “cells,” which divide and increase. The blue part is “clean water,” which can be transformed to flow. It seems that MYAKU-MYAKU is looking for itself to be who it wants to be and has transformed into various shapes. Its present shape came about by imitating human beings. However, it may change its appearance too much and forget its original shape.

MYAKU-MYAKU is friendly but clumsy. Bathing in sunlight is the source of its energy. It also loves rainy days and can take the rain into its body. It is good at finding rainbows after rain, and it loves to interact with all creatures and things.

The name “MYAKU-MYAKU” embodies the resolve to pass down humankind’s DNA, wisdom, technology, history and culture infinitely [myaku-myaku] to future generations. The word "myaku" in Japanese also refers to the pulse of the arteries transmitting the heartbeat throughout the body.
The two sounds of myaku-myaku suggest persisting pulses and passing on the baton of life.

Make Yesterday’s Dreams Come True

Japan has participated in World Expos since the Paris World Expo of 1867. It has hosted five World Expos in the past: Japan World Exposition Osaka 1970; International Ocean Exposition, Okinawa 1975; International Exhibition, Tsukuba Japan 1985; International Garden and Greenery Exposition, Osaka, Japan 1990; and EXPO 2005, Aichi, Japan. The upcoming Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan will not be content with past successes; it will pursue innovations and attempt to establish new paradigms. The Expo Site will be a “People’s Living Lab” for demonstrating new technologies and systems to turn yesterday’s dreams into reality and experience the near future in advance.

For example, sightseeing flights and transportation services will connect two locations using the mobility vehicle of the future: Advanced Air Mobilities (AAM). As of now, ANA Holdings and Joby Aviation, Japan Airlines (JAL), Marubeni, and SkyDrive have been chosen as the four flight operators, while ORIX has been chosen to operate the port at the Expo Site. Although the flight routes are still being finalized, in addition to the Expo Site, construction of ports is also being planned in Osaka City and Hyogo Prefecture for flights connecting the two locations.

These AAMs are expected to generate less noise because they are electric-powered and equipped with smaller rotors than helicopters, and they have the added advantage of having a low maintenance cost. They have great potential for use as emergency transport during disasters, a means to reduce traffic congestion in urban areas, and transportation to remote mountainous areas.

Some 160 countries and territories as well as 9 international organizations (as of November 14) will participate in Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan, which is expected to attract around 28.2 million visitors. Experiments to eliminate the language barrier using automatic translation technology will be conducted. In addition to consecutive translation that is already operational, the Expo will also aim at realizing “simultaneous translation” using AI. The point is to provide not only Japanese and English translation, but also multilingual translation.

The Expo Site will provide translation apps for visitors and staff members to enable interactive communication among visitors and between visitors and staff members who speak different languages. Furthermore, automatic translation will also be provided at seminars, the Virtual Expo, and on other occasions. Simultaneous translation technology is also being developed using AI by 2025 for use not only at the Expo, but also in highly specialized discussions such as business and international conferences.

Active Introduction of Carbon-Neutral Energy

Under the theme “Designing Future Society for Our Lives,” the Expo as a whole will promote decarbonization. One of the projects is to introduce at the Expo Site advanced energy technologies that need to be developed and implemented for achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. A carbon-neutral society of the future will become a reality at the Expo.

For example, the spotlight will be on next-generation solar power generation. Unlike the silicon solar cells commonly used today, the perovskite solar cells developed in Japan do not use glass, so they make possible the production of light, bendable and foldable solar cells in the form of thin sheets. These can be installed on the roofs of garages, warehouses, temporary stores, and other structures with low load capacity, as well as on the walls of buildings, car bodies, and so forth. At the Expo Site, they will be used on the bus shelters at the transportation terminals to supply power for LED lighting at night.

In the area of carbon recycling, hydrogen produced from electricity generated by solar power generation and biogas produced by fermenting food waste generated at the Expo Site will be used to produce synthetic methane using methanation technology for use in the heat supply system and the kitchens on the Expo Site. The introduction of direct air capture (DAC) technology for the direct capture of CO2 from the atmosphere is also being promoted.

You are the Hero

Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan also has a participatory programme called “TEAM EXPO 2025.” It is a programme for increasing the exciting experience of solving problems around you in the runup to the Expo that makes you feel, “Hey, society has become a bitbetter!”

To participate in this programme, you can either propose a Co-Creation Challenge and/or be a Co-Creation Partner. Participants register what they would like to do (or are doing) with whom to create what kind of future. In the case of Co-Creation Challenges, which constitute the core of the programme, participants can register projects as groups of two or more people or as corporations and organizations. These can be ongoing projects or projects to be undertaken. Activities and individuals that stand out in the programme will be announced at the Expo and introduced to the world. This will be an Expo where you are not only a spectator, but where “you are the hero.” For details, see the English website at https://team-en.expo2025.or.jp/en/ .

You can get the latest news on Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan on its official website: https://www.expo2025.or.jp/en/ .