Expo Japan 2025

In order to have a brilliant presence at the 2025 World Expo , the Japan Association has developed a unique design system called EXPO 2025, which is intended to be used at Expo 2025 Osaka, located in the Kansai region of Japan.

The aim of this design system is to create unity across the Expo’s various interfaces and provide a distinct and continuous experience that transcends the boundaries of analog and digital in a unique way. We deeply hope that the experience provided through the EXPO 2025 design system will help to enhance and enrich the moments of visitors to this great event, bringing them more surprises and pleasures.

Design policy

1. A “living” design system that gives life new meaning

The Expo design system is designed to be a living organism, capable of growth and evolution. This structure is based on the new concept that to embody the theme of the exhibition, “Designing the Future Society for Our Lives,” we need a “living” design system with dynamic elements to present this experience in a lively and changing way.

2. A unified brand experience that crosses the boundaries of analog and digital, real and virtual

With a holistic approach, a unified brand experience will be developed. The Expo is not just a physical location, but also a virtual space . The design will allow visitors to enjoy the same brand experiences as the Expo, both through physical elements such as aerial surfaces, video streams and products, and through virtual technologies such as augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR).

3. Experimental exploration and innovation

In order to explore the horizons of future design, we use design as a tool to explore possibilities. The theme of the exhibition “People’s Living Lab” is presented as an arena for a new future. For this purpose, the design system is equipped with experimental and innovative aspects to explore the possibilities of future design. We have chosen the design process in such a way that people and machines, using advanced algorithms and technologies, jointly create works. This design system will be updated in the future, like intelligent software.

4. The energy and unique features of the exhibition

The Tower of the Sun, the symbol of the 1970 World Expo in Osaka, Japan, represents the energy generated by all living things, past, present and future. Our goal was to create new and unique features for the Expo by developing a system designed to capture the dynamic and life-giving energy evident in Osaka and Kansai.

5. Open design as a platform to encourage participation and co-creation

The design elements, including “ID,” which symbolizes individual life, and “GROUP,” which represents a future shaped by the diversity of lives, are shaped to function as an open system. A margin is left in the design to ensure scalability and encourage broad participation in co-creation.

Design process

A shared future design has been created.

By people and technology

In order to explore the possibilities of co-creation by humans and technology in the future, we have structured a design system that combines human-based and technology-based elements. The logo is based on the motif of the cell: a cell is born, the cell divides and replicates, and life grows and evolves. First, we designed an algorithm to visualize this system of life.

The design system is capable of simultaneously rendering 3D shapes applicable to virtual spaces such as virtual exhibitions and flat 2D images used in flat design. The design is not entirely based on technological elements. We intentionally asked human designers to make the final adjustments (e.g., parameter adjustment, shape selection) to create a design process that involves human intervention.

It is a creative design process that opens up space for human-machine interaction.

Concept

The Expo design system represents the eternal time and the flow of life. The diverse forms of life that add color to our daily lives teach us the brilliance of life that never becomes ordinary, not by forming a single center, but by endlessly connecting with each other and separating from each other. The beauty created by the integration and resonance of different things leads us to a new future.

The Japanese have long believed that life exists in everything. This includes not only humans and animals, but everything from insects, rocks, and grains of rice to every leaf that falls on the riverbed. If we were to extend this worldview to our modern age, we could say that new life has been created in things like artificial intelligence and bioengineering. Each of us, as an individual and member of society, exists in a world filled with countless numbers of lives. Life exists on an individual level as well as a collective level. To express this idea, we have adopted a design system that can function both as an individual part and as a whole entity.
Communication in our highly networked world is becoming stronger and stronger every day. Meanwhile, discord and opposition are accelerating as if it were too much to reject communication. We are not only witnessing increasing disunity between people in the form of discord and inequality, but also conflict between humanity and nature in the form of environmental destruction and epidemics. The relationship between people and our bloated social system is also precarious.

We believe that the key to reducing this tension is circulation. All forms of life are neither completely interconnected nor completely separate from each other. They are constantly changing as they meet and part. Ultimately, forms in the cycle of life merge, creating a new existence out of chaos. This design system does not represent a nature-centered, system-centered, or human-centered future. It represents a biocentric future characterized by a vibrant cycle of life.

Expo 2025 Osaka: Designing a future society for human life

Expo 2025 Osaka will be one of the most important and exciting global events, aiming to provide innovations and new ideas to respond to current and future challenges of humanity. With the main theme of “Designing a Future Society for Human Life” and three sub-themes: Saving Human Life, Empowering Human Life and Connecting Human Life, the Expo is presented as a global platform for gathering thoughts and ideas and synergizing towards sustainable development (SDGs) and realizing Japan’s national strategy, Society 5.0.

Main topic: Designing a future society for human life

The main theme of Expo 2025 Osaka focuses on the importance of combining technology and humanity. The aim is to provide solutions to create sustainable and livable societies for future generations. In today’s world, technology has increasingly become one of the main factors shaping human life. Therefore, Expo 2025 seeks to create a space for dialogue and exchange of ideas for individuals, organizations and countries to share their ideas on improving the quality of human life.

Subtopics

1) Saving human life

Saving Human Life, a key theme of Expo 2025, will address challenges such as climate change, health crises, and food and water security. It seeks to provide solutions based on technological innovation and social synergy that can help save the environment and sustain human life globally.

2) Empowering human life

The theme of Empowering Human Life focuses on strategies that empower individuals and communities. It explores ways in which people can be given the space and opportunities they need to improve their quality of life. From creating educational and technological opportunities to facilitating access to information, all of these are in line with empowering human life.

3) The bond of human life

Connecting Human Life is a concept that addresses social, cultural and economic connections. Expo 2025 seeks to encourage positive interactions between people through the creation of communication networks and cultural exchange. This theme is considered a central focus for promoting social solidarity and promoting acceptance of differences.

Expo Goals

Expo 2025 Osaka is not only a platform for showcasing new innovations and ideas, but also seeks to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations. 2025 is just five years away from 2030, and the world is facing challenges that require serious attention. As a pivotal event in this regard, Expo 2025 provides a unique opportunity to gather ideas and solutions.

Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

In 2015, the United Nations announced a global agenda to achieve 17 Sustainable Development Goals, which encompass economic, social and environmental issues. Expo 2025 Osaka, as a world exhibition, provides an opportunity to achieve these goals by focusing on its main and sub-themes.

Japan’s National Strategy: Society 5.0

Japan is pursuing the concept of Society 5.0, which seeks to combine the physical and digital spaces to create smart and sustainable societies. The strategy emphasizes the findings of science and technology, especially in the fields of artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, and big data. Expo 2025 Osaka will be a platform where we will see this strategy realized in practice and ideas for a future society will be formed.

With the main theme of “Designing a Future Society for Human Life” and its related sub-themes, Expo 2025 Osaka aims to provide a platform for discussion and exchange on the current challenges facing humanity by bringing together ideas and innovations from around the world. This event can be a starting point for realizing the Sustainable Development Goals and discovering effective solutions for a better future. In fact, Expo 2025 will not only be a showcase of scientific and technological advances, but also a place for innovation, solidarity and collective efforts to build a more sustainable and humane world.

Expo: A Global and Influential Event

Expo, also known as World’s Fair, is a major international event held every five years. It serves as a stage for presenting the latest cultural, social, scientific and economic achievements of countries and has significant differences from trade fairs. Since 1851, Expos have become one of the most important events on the global stage, and the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) is responsible for managing and supervising these events.

Expo History

The first examples of international exhibitions in the modern sense were held in 1851 at the Crystal Palace in Hyde Park, London. This event is considered a turning point in world history, and its next one was held in Paris in 1889, where the Eiffel Tower was designed and built. Since then, more than 60 World Expos have been held in various countries, mainly developed ones. Iran has also had a prominent presence in the history of Expos and has actively participated in numerous Expos, including the 1993 Expo in South Korea, the 2000 Expo in Germany, the 2010 Expo in Shanghai, China, and the 2015 Expo in Milan.

Types of Expo

Today, expos are categorized into four main types under the supervision of the BIE:

1. Universal Expos : These exhibitions last for up to six months and focus on global themes related to human issues.

2. Specialized Expos : These types of exhibitions are held for a maximum of three months and cover more specific and specialized topics.

3. Horticultural Expos : These exhibitions also showcase horticultural and agricultural products for up to six months.

4. Triennale : These exhibitions also last for a maximum of six months and focus on contemporary art and design.

Differences between global and specialized expos

Objectives of holding expos

Holding expos pursues several goals, including the following:

• Strengthening international relations : Expos, as a global platform, provide a space for international exchange and interaction.
• Strengthening and supporting Expos as laboratories for future experiments : These events evaluate and improve various cultural, scientific and economic practices.
• Showcasing a country’s history, civilization, and culture : Expos are an opportunity to showcase the culture, customs, and capabilities of countries on a specific topic.
• Developing environmental protection solutions : These events promote ideas and innovations that take environmental protection into account.
• Reconstruction of the host city : Holding Expos usually leads to the mobilization and reconstruction of urban infrastructure.

Expo hosts

The process of obtaining the Expo hosting rights and the role of BIE in this regard includes the following steps:

1. Submission of a proposal : The applicant country must submit a proposal to the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE).
2. Review and Feasibility : The plan and feasibility of holding the Expo are reviewed by the BIE Executive Committee.
3. Voting : Finally, a vote is taken at the BIE General Assembly to determine the host country.

Expos, as a global event and a showcase of cultural and scientific innovations and advancements, play an important role in promoting international interactions and sustainable development. These events not only showcase the capabilities of countries, but also provide an opportunity for cooperation and exchange of ideas in areas such as environmental protection, social and economic development. Expos are, in fact, a stage for the manifestation of human creativity and joint global efforts to improve the quality of life.