The summer included a visit to Japan and Expo ‘25 in Osaka. The Expo is an enormous undertaking. There are 152 countries participating, sharing their thinking about the future. With 188 pavilions, you could call it the Mother of All Popup Cities.

The theme of Expo ‘25 is “Designing Future Society for Our Lives”. The good news is, regeneration is ascendant. Many countries are focusing on the environment and sustainability. It was gratifying to see so much research and investment in a positive-sum future.

Every day the Expo is packed with visitors and, even with reservations, the popular pavilions have long waiting lines. One can spend a whole day there but only manage to visit a few.

A favorite pavilion was Germany, which explains how it’s creating circular cities that circulate both resources and the economy. The pavilion is ambitious and the content inspiring.

The pavilion exterior, where you wait in line, is lined with trees borrowed from Ryokukou Gardens, a local nursery. The trees will be returned after the Expo.

Spain, which is surrounded by sea on three sides, is showcasing ocean conservation.

One aspect is seaweed research for energy, nutrition, cosmetics, and medicinal purposes.

The Dutch pavilion has cool architecture that’s completely circular. Its exhibition addresses five themes: climate, food, health, tech, and culture.

Smaller countries tend to have smaller pavilions. Cambodia focused on rice cultivation. Egypt showed a 360° CGI projection of its ancient past and a verdant future.

The UN pavilion has the theme “United for a Better Future”.

“How can we protect the world? Check the SDGs!”

“null² (Nurunuru)” is one of the Signature Pavilions at the Expo. Created by Yoichi Ochiai, it explores the future of nature when it merges with the digital world, looking at how humans might change as a result.

This is actually the second World’s Fair held in Osaka. The first was Expo ’70, a tremendously successful event that showcased a number of innovations that are in common use today, such as the first mobile phone, maglev trains, and conveyor belt sushi!

One of the other inventions at Expo ‘70 was a “human washing machine”, created by Sanyo Electric Co. (now Panasonic Corp.). One of the visitors was Yasuaki Aoyama, then a curious fourth-grader. He never forgot the experience and went on to become the CEO of Science Co., a company specializing in hygiene appliances.

Science Co. reimagined the machine and created a bathing pod that blends innovative ultra-fine bubble technology with biometric sensors that track the bather’s physical and emotional state, promising to cleanse not only the body but also the mind.

Exhibited in the Osaka Healthcare Pavilion, the cockpit-shaped pod partially fills with fizzing warm water as the user reclines in the central seat. A wash takes 15 minutes, including drying.

The “Grand Ring” forms the circular spine of the Expo city. Built from wood, utilizing Japanese carpentry principles, it covers an area of 61,035 square meters (656,980 sq ft), making it the largest wooden architectural structure on earth according to the Guinness Book of World Records.

Designed by Sou Fujimoto, the Grand Ring is a brilliant piece of architecture. It circumscribes an urban space, connects all the pavilions, provides a 2025 meter long elevated pathway named the Skywalk, and shelters visitors from the elements. After the Expo it will be dismantled and used for other purposes. The form of the Grand Ring is a circle, a symbol of unity, embodying the circular intent for the future.

The Expo has a theatrical goodbye. A drone show graced the exit.

Expo ‘25 runs until October 13th, 2025.