* The Expo, with the theme “Designing Future Society of Our Lives” and set to take place from April 13 to October 2025 at Yumeshima Island in Osaka, is expected to attract around 28mn visitors from various countries
 
The Embassy of Japan in Doha has unveiled an outline of the Expo 2025 master plan, which will be used as the basis for the event’s preparations starting this year.
The Expo, under the theme “Designing Future Society of Our Lives” and set to take place from April 13 to October 2025 at Yumeshima Island in Osaka, is expected to attract around 28mn visitors from various countries.
According to the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition, Expo visitors will enjoy the beautiful scenery of the Seto Inland Sea at the artificial island, located on the waterfront of Osaka City.
“The site will be designed to embody the principle of “unity in diversity,” combining connection between diverse beings with the encouragement of diversity through the principles of ‘decentralisation’ and’ dispersion’, which the Organiser of the Expo has embraced since its candidacy,” organisers said.
“The Expo site will comprise three areas: The Pavilion World, Green World and Water World. As an area of liveliness with a concentration of pavilions and other facilities, the Pavilion World will have the ring-shaped main street as a major line of flow of visitors and scattered plazas in different sizes, both of which will provide access to all pavilions. Above the main street will be a Grand Roof (Ring),” organisers added.
Apart from its main theme, the six-month Expo will also have three sub themes: Saving Lives, Empowering Lives, and Connecting Lives – focused on initiatives aimed at achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The Expo will be operated sustainably and environment-friendly to help build a zero-carbon society by using renewable energy and promoting the 3Rs – reuse, reduce, and recycle (using recycled materials).
“With the site positioned as a showcase of a future society, the Expo will provide visitors with wonder and a future vision by giving a realistic picture of a future society through co-creation with various businesses and other parties,” organisers noted.
Part of the plan includes using digital technology, practical application of latest technologies and social systems, and other initiatives and innovations within and outside the site.
Visitors will have the opportunity to experience ‘novel mobility with flying cars,’ futuristic entertainment – combining real and virtual, avatars, ICT-platform-based mobile apps, 5G network, and hydrogen energy technology, among others.
Other initiatives aimed at “realising a comfortable Expo for visitors” such as advance admission booking system, introduction of electronic ticketing, setting admission tickets that permit entry only during limited days or hours, use of robots in the pioneering fields of robot utilisation, and introduction of machine translation technology, among others, will also be considered for implementation.
Other “field-specific plans” include reducing food waste, providing services and products that meet the needs of diverse visitors, ensuring smooth access for an expected 28.2mn visitors to the Expo site, ensuring information security, preventing accidents (and responding quickly and appropriately if it happens) at the site, and adopting necessary infectious disease control measures, among others.
The Expo will also use sophisticated and virtual technology in organising music concerts, dramatic performances, performing arts, thematic forum, parades and festivals, aqua shows, projection mapping, art programmes, and an array of exhibitions.
Under the “People’s Living Lab – a laboratory for a future society’ concept, the Expo will have:
• A space where 8bn people from around the world will not only view exhibits but will co-create our future society
• Even before the Expo begins, an online platform for sharing challenges and solutions from around the world will be launched
• A place where the world’s knowledge such as cutting-edge technology will be brought together, used to create new ideas, and shared, all to help resolve global issues facing mankind
 
 
Related Story