Expo 101
The essential information you need to know ahead of Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan
The World Expo is returning to Japan for a third time and promises to be spectacular. Building on the legacy of Expo ’70 in Osaka, an event considered symbolic of Japan’s postwar economic miracle, and Expo 2005 in Aichi, noted for its focus on environmental and sustainability concerns, Expo 2025 is aiming to present a bold vision of a post-materialist society rooted in diversity. Hosted by the city of Osaka and the surrounding Kansai region, the Expo will take place from 13th April to 13th October 2025, with most of the action centering on the island of Yumeshima. Here’s the lowdown on what to expect.
The philosophy
The theme of Expo 2025 is “Designing Future Society for Our Lives”—a pledge that encompasses improving the lives of people around the world by focusing on three subthemes: Saving Lives, Empowering Lives, and Connecting Lives. Through these key topics, the organizers seek to “co-create” society along more sustainable lines, pointing the way toward a greener, happier, and more secure future.
The Expo will be a testing ground for new ideas and initiatives aimed at building a better world
Another significant feature of the Expo will be its function as a testing ground for new ideas and initiatives aimed at building a better world. Dubbed “People’s Living Lab,” this undertaking is already underway, with a variety of online and real-world events being held in the lead-up to the Expo to discuss pressing issues and produce fresh ideas to be presented and debated in 2025.
Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition
The practice
Showcasing cutting-edge technology has always been a major part of the Expo brief, and the Osaka-Kansai edition is expected to display the latest innovations in fields from health care and accessibility to mobility and entertainment. Don’t be surprised if flying cars will be an option for transportation to and from the venue, and best look out for the legion of robots set to handle everything from customer service to cleaning within and around the pavilions.
Also of note is the Expo’s focus on health and wellbeing, which means that visitors can expect to be introduced to a wide range of groundbreaking solutions in medical and nursing care. Many of these will have been developed in Japan to meet the needs of the country’s rapidly aging population, and are likely to attract global interest as caring for the elderly becomes an ever more pressing concern in societies around the world.
Visitors can expect to be introduced to a wide range of groundbreaking solutions in medical and nursing care
Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition
The site
Yumeshima, an artificial island in Osaka Bay, will be transformed into a futuristic mini-city
Though the Expo is officially being hosted by both Osaka and the wider Kansai region, the spotlight will be squarely on Yumeshima (“Dream Island”), an artificial island in Osaka Bay, less than half an hour by train from the city center. The largely unoccupied expanse of land will be transformed into a futuristic mini-city arranged around a number of plazas and divided into three “worlds.” These are Pavilion World, where participating countries will be setting up their respective exhibitions; Green World, a site for open-air events, strolls among the urban greenery, and hands-on experiences; and Water World, Yumeshima’s after-dark hub, where various shows will be lighting up the night sky throughout the event period.
Yumeshima, an artificial island in Osaka Bay, will be transformed into a futuristic mini-city
Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition
The venue is expected to embody the Expo’s message of sustainability and inclusion through features such as carbon neutrality and fully accessible facilities. Access to Yumeshima will be mainly by train, with emission-free buses and electric boats also being explored as possible means of transportation. Meanwhile, a network of self-driving electric vehicles is being developed to shuttle visitors around the site.
A network of self-driving electric vehicles is being developed to shuttle visitors around the site