Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai is a key national project that will make its grand opening on 13 April 2025. As many as 150 countries and international organisations are expected to participate, and it is projected that over 20 million visitors will attend the event. This occasion will surely grant riveting opportunities for Osaka as the host city. As Mayor of Osaka at the time of writing, I would like here to convey the story of Osaka’s journey over time, its preparations as the host of the next World Expo, and its ongoing development in the future legacy.

During the first International Participants Meeting in preparation for Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai, and marking 900 days to go until the opening of the Expo, a new video rendering of the World Expo site has been revealed.

The video shows the Expo site complete with its wooden grand roof, with images of the different parts of the Expo including Pavilion World, Green World and Water World.

With less than 1,000 days until the opening of Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai, themed “Designing Future Society for Our Lives”, this second part of the Vision for a Future Society series looks at the people and the ideas behind the next World Expo’s Signature Pavilions. After July’s instalment, discover this month the future visions of Shoji Kawamori (Totality of Life), Kundo Koyama (Cycle of Lives), Sachiko Nakajima (Invigorating Lives), and Hiroaki Miyata (Resonance of Lives).

On 18 July, Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai marks the 1,000-day countdown to the opening of the next World Expo. As part of the development of its theme “Designing Future Society for Our Lives”, Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai has entrusted eight thematic projects to experts in their domain with a focus on working towards a better future for humankind. In the first of a two-part series, four of these producers discuss their philosophy and the Signature Pavilions they are creating for the Expo. Discover the future society visions of Shin-Ichi Fukuoka (Quest of Life pavilion), Naomi Kawase (Embracing Lives pavilion), Hiroshi Ishiguro (Amplification of Lives pavilion), and Yoichi Ochiai (Forging Lives pavilion).

With Expo 2020 Dubai closing its gates on 31 March, Japan is gearing up to be the host country of the next World Expo, taking place in Osaka, Kansai. Opening in just over three years time, Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai will gather, once again, countries from around the world, this time under the theme of “Designing Future Society for Our Lives”. The Secretary General of the Japan Association for Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai shares his thoughts at this important juncture for the next World Expo.

World Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai will open to the public in 1,500 days, embarking millions of visitors on a six-month discovery of its theme “Designing Future Society for Our Lives”.

On this occasion, Hiroyuki Ishige, the Secretary-General of the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition, sets out the vision for the World Expo as well as the various programmes being organised in preparation for the event.

Earlier this week Osaka announced that they had chosen a bizarre, googly-eyed character as their logo for the upcoming Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai. And over the next 24 hours the Japanese public reception appeared to shift from utter confusion to disgust and then to adoring the little red creature. The public quickly warmed to Inochi no Kagayaki-chan, an endearing nickname borrowed from the Expo’s theme (in English - "Designing Future Society for Our Lives"), and opened their arms to it. From illustrators and bakers to knitters and even monks, remix culture quickly set in and social media has been buzzing with creations. Below are some of our favorites at Spoon & Tamago: