World Expo 2025 Osaka: Everything you Need to Know!
Sophia Wasylinko
World Expo 2025 is just around the corner! Osaka, Kansai, Japan, will host it from April 13 to October 13. With an estimated 28 million visitors expected, it’s a highly anticipated event that will bring together innovative minds from across the globe.
But maybe you’ve never heard of a World Expo before. Not to worry! We’ll share the history behind this exhibition and what you can expect in Osaka this year. Join us on this quick guide to World Expo 2025!
What is the World Expo?
The World Expo is a large-scale exhibition showcasing the host country’s achievements. It’s sanctioned by the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) and is usually held every five years for anywhere between six weeks and six months. There are also smaller specialized expos, which run from three weeks to three months, and horticultural expos that focus on specific themes. Only one Specialized Expo can be held between two World Expos.
The first World’s Fair took place in 1791 in Prague; a larger exhibition took place in 1851 at the Crystal Palace in London, setting the stage for modern expositions.
In the 2000s, expositions were spaced out for financial purposes and to avoid overlap with the Summer Olympics. The next two Expos will be hosted by Yokohama, Japan (Horticultural) and Belgrade, Serbia (Specialized), both in 2027. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, will host the World Expo 2030.
Has Osaka ever hosted the World Expo before?
Did you know Osaka is hosting the World Expo for the third time? Expo ‘70 (March 15-September 13, 1970) drew over 64 million visitors, the most significant attendees.
The film “Progress and Humanity for Mankind,” it highlighted the negative effects of technology and possible solutions to counteract them. Popular exhibits included the theme park Expoland and the premiere of the first IMAX film, Tiger Child.
20 years later, Expo 1990 (April 1-September 30) emphasized “The Harmonious Coexistence of Nature and Mankind,” drawing over 23 million visitors and 83 participating countries.
Various floral and horticultural displays, including 44 national gardens and a special Osaka’s Great Conservatory exhibit featuring 15,000 plants. The Expo site, built over a former industrial dumping ground, is now the popular Tsurumi Ryokuchi Park.
What exhibitions will take place at World Expo 2025?
World Expo 2025’s theme is “Designing Future Society for Our Lives,” while the concept is “People’s Living Lab.” The sub-themes are “Saving Lives,” “Empowering Lives,” and “Connecting Lives,” chosen to meet each of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS). Let’s look at some of these exhibits.
Society 5.0
What will our future cities look like? Society 5.0 might have the answer! This VR experience simulates urban life in and beyond 2030. It also allows participants to create solutions to real-world societal issues. The “double-skinned” design controls temperature and insulation while allowing for lighting and environmental changes. Don’t miss this exciting exhibit!
TAIYO’s TSUBOMI
This futuristic sauna, water bath, and lounge is sponsored by Taiyo Kogyo Corporation, famous for its large-scale membrane structures. Each space uses ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (EFTE) film instead of glass, making it more portable and allowing natural light inside. What do these facilities look like? We’ll give you a hint: tsubomi means “flower bud.”
Physical Twin Symphony
Originally called “The Human Orchestra,” Physical Twin Symphony’s experimental technology allows people to make music together regardless of skill or physical proximity. The exhibit will be held three times a day during the opening week (except for the first day, when there will only be one performance). It’s your chance to be part of a global symphony!
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Why is World Expo 2025 important?
World Expo 2025 celebrates and shares Osaka’s and Japan’s culture with the world. Exhibits, from historical and cultural displays to technological and artistic projects like Tsubomi, will educate and entertain visitors.
The Expo also unites creative minds from across the globe. Everyone makes a valuable contribution, whether it’s a collaboration between countries like Society 5.0 or an experiment in real-time, such as Physical Twin Symphony.
Most importantly, World Expo 2025 invites participants to come together to make the world a better place. Japanese and non-Japanese attendees can use their newfound knowledge to improve their professional and personal lives.
World Expo 2025 is more than a series of cool displays highlighting Osaka’s accomplishments. It’s a chance for folks of all backgrounds to come together for the good of humanity. Through interacting with exciting and innovative exhibits, participants can make connections, increase their understanding of pressing issues, and share their suggestions for the world they wish to live in.
If you’re wondering how to take action as a global citizen, attending this event is a good start. Are you planning to attend World Expo 2025? Let us know in the comments.
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