Expo 2025 Osaka: A Global Showcase of Innovation and Unity

Taiwanese Perspectives on a World Fair Amidst Challenges and Hope

Expo 2025 officially opened its doors yesterday in Osaka, Japan, bringing together 160 countries and regions to exhibit their latest advancements in technology, culture, and cuisine. The host nation, Japan, hopes to provide a message of unity and optimism to the world.

The exposition, running until mid-October, showcases a variety of captivating exhibits, including a Mars meteorite, a revolutionary artificial heart grown from stem cells, and unique Hello Kitty figures crafted from algae.

Dominating the landscape of the pavilions is the "Grand Ring," the world's largest wooden structure, a testament to architectural innovation. Sou Fujimoto, the structure's creator, emphasizes the Expo as a "precious opportunity where so many different cultures... and countries come together in one place to create diversity and unity.”

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba highlights the event's potential to foster unity within a “divided society.” He further stated, "Through Expo, we would like to restore a sense of unity in the world once again.”

However, with ongoing global conflicts and economic challenges, the event faces a complex reality. The Ukrainian booth displays a sign reading "Not for sale," reflecting the country's resilience in the face of war, with Russian absent at Expo 2025. Tatiana Berezhna, the Ukrainian Deputy Minister of Economy, stated, "We want the world to know more about our resilience. We are the ones who create, not the ones who destroys.”

Yahel Vilan, head of Israel’s compact pavilion, which also features a Palestinian one, features a stone from Jerusalem’s Western Wall. He expressed, "we came with a message of peace.”

The US pavilion adopts the theme "America the Beautiful," emphasizing the nation's landscapes, artificial intelligence, and space exploration. The nearby Chinese pavilion, designed to evoke a calligraphy scroll, focuses on green technology and lunar samples brought by the Chang’e-5 and Chang’e-6 probes.

Among the more unconventional displays are 32 sculptures of Hello Kitty, each representing a different type of algae, symbolizing the plant's diverse applications, and a "human washing machine" that visualizes the bather's heart rate.

Attendees can also witness demonstrations of drone-like flying vehicles and the pioneering artificial heart, developed from induced pluripotent stem cells. Byron Russel of Pasona Group, which manages the exhibit, noted that it "has an actual pulse.”

Sustainability is a prominent theme throughout the Expo, as exemplified by the Swiss pavilion's commitment to minimizing its ecological impact. However, concerns have been raised about the temporary nature of Expos. After the event concludes, Osaka's artificial island will be repurposed for a casino resort. Japanese media reports that only 12.5 percent of the Grand Ring will be reused.