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As there are already more applications for this press tour than there are positions available, we will be closing applications.
If you are still interested in applying, be aware that you will only be able to join if there are cancellations.　

June 17, 2024

Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan Press Tour

Tour Dates: Wednesday, 26 June to Thursday, 27 June 2024

<Topics>

・State of preparations with less than one year remaining until the Expo: Seeing the symbol of the venue, the Grand Ring, and interviewing members of the operating organization

・Demonstrating Japanese technological prowess to the world at the Expo: Cutting-edge medical technology, the craftsmanship of small workshops, and wooden architecture

 

 

　For 184 days, from 13 April to 13 October, 2025, Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan will be held on the Yumeshima artificial island in Osaka City. With less than a year until the Expo begins, the construction of the venue and preparations by participating countries, businesses, and organizations are steadily proceeding.

 　A total of 161 countries and regions and 9 international organizations have announced their participation in the Expo, and 28 million visitors are expected, with an estimated economic impact of approximately 2.9 trillion yen for Japan as a whole.

 

 　This will be the third World Expo held in Japan, after the 1970 Japan World Exposition in Osaka and the 2005 World Exposition in Aichi, and its theme is “Designing Future Society for Our Lives.” With frequent armed conflict around the world even today and the recent global spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, the nature of “our lives” is being questioned. The meaning behind the theme of the expo is “aiming to foster worldwide cooperation in building a society where everyone can pursue their own way of life and demonstrate their own potential to the fullest. That is, a sustainable society that supports such diverse ways of living.”

 

 　The press tour will view the Expo site, where the Grand Ring is under construction, and hear from officials of the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition, the operating organization for the Expo, about the state of preparations and significance behind holding the Expo. As well as providing an early opportunity to report on cutting-edge technology to be displayed at the Expo, the tour will visit Kiyomizu-dera Temple in Kyoto to learn about the traditional Japanese wooden construction techniques being used in the construction of the Grand Ring, the symbol of the Expo site.

[Tour Details]

1. State of Preparations for Expo 2025, Osaka, Kansai, Japan

・Visiting the Grand Ring, the symbol of the Expo site and what will be one

of the largest wooden structures in the world

・Interviews with officials from the operating organization

　In addition to the unique pavilions of all the different countries, with the concept of a “People’s Living Lab,” the venue for Expo 2025, Osaka, Kansai, Japan will display a variety of cutting-edge technology aiming to solve issues facing humanity as a whole, including delivery robots, automatic translation systems, and next-generation mobility solutions such as Advanced Air Mobility(“flying cars.”)

 

 　The symbol for the venue is the Grand Ring, which when completed will be one of the largest wooden structures in the world. With a circumference of 2 kilometers, a width of 30 meters, and a height of up to 20 meters, the Grand Ring was designed by architect and Expo Site Design Producer FUJIMOTO Sou, following the Expo site philosophy of “Unity in Diversity.” With the pavilions of the official participants being placed inside the ring, it symbolizes the world being connected as one. The main path for visitors to the site will go under the Grand Ring. It is designed in such a way that visitors can go to the top of the ring, and see the venue as a whole, the ocean, and the sky.

 

◆The tour will visit Yumeshima Island, the venue for Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan, and see the Grand Ring under construction, as well as the "PASONA NATUREVERSE" Pavilion and the Osaka Healthcare Pavilion “Nest for Reborn” (video and photos of exterior only). The tour will also hear from officials from the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition, the organizer of the Expo, about the current state of preparations and passion for holding the Expo. (Which officials is TBD)

<Important>Filming and photography will only be permitted for the Grand Ring, the "PASONA NATUREVERSE" Pavilion and the Osaka Healthcare Pavilion "Nest for Reborn" (exterior only). No video or photos of other pavilions under construction, etc. will be permitted. Other restrictions on filming and photography will be in place, so be aware you will have to follow the instructions given by staff during the tour.

 

     

The Grand Ring, under construction (Top left and right)

 

 

Concept images of the finished Expo site (Bottom left and right)

[Photos courtesy of Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition ©Expo 2025]

2. International Participants Meeting 2024 Summer

Representatives from participating countries, regions, and international organizations all meeting together

 

　The International Participants Meeting 2024 Summer will be held on 25 and 26 June in Nara. Representatives from countries, regions, and international organizations that have announced their participation in Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan will all gather together, where sessions will be held to increase understanding of the themes of the Expo, and advice provided on managing pavilions. Three previous International Participants Meetings have been held, and they also play a role in allowing participating countries to interact with each other.

 

◆The tour will participate in a press conference held at the end of the two-day meeting

 

3. Dr. SAWA Yoshiki, Professor Emeritus of Osaka University
First in the world to carry out successful transplant of heart muscle tissue sheet and the developer of the world’s first “living heart model,” iPS Heart (Life), which will be displayed at the Expo

 

　As part of an introduction to the latest regenerative medicine, a “living heart model” made using induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells will be displayed at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan. Combining multiple cardiomyocyte sheets* made from approximately 500,000 iPS cells, with a diameter of around 2 centimeters and thickness of 0.1 millimeters, a three-dimensional representation of a heart will be made, and when completed it will beat like a real heart. By maintaining an optimal temperature, it will be possible for it to continue to beat for approximately two weeks. The dynamic display of a three-dimensional model of a heart made using iPS cells at the Expo is said to be a world first.

　

　The development of this living heart model is being led by Dr. SAWA Yoshiki, a cardiovascular surgeon and Professor Emeritus of　Osaka University, who is a pioneer in regenerative medicine using iPS cells. In 2020, a research team led by Dr. SAWA was the first in the world to successfully transplant cardiomyocyte sheets into a patient with heart disease. In three years, by 2023, they had successfully completed the same surgery eight times in total, and all of the patients had recovered. With heart disease being the leading cause of death worldwide, treatment using cardiomyocyte sheets is expected to become more commonplace.

 

   The living heart model will be displayed at the PASONA NATUREVERSE pavilion of the Pasona Group, and the cardiomyocyte sheets will be displayed at Osaka City’s Osaka Healthcare Pavilion Nest for Reborn. Dr. SAWA hopes that these displays will show visitors the potential of regenerative medicine, and make them think on how precious life is.

*Cardiomyocyte sheets: Muscle tissue cells made from iPS cells formed into sheets, which can beat like a heart.

 

◆The tour will see cardiomyocyte sheets beating in a culture, as well as a miniature prototype of the living heart model (which will not be beating), and hear from leading regenerative medicine researcher Dr. SAWA Yoshiki, Professor Emeritus of Osaka University, about his thoughts on the displays at the Expo.

Miniature living heart model prototype (left), cardiomyocyte sheet (right)

[Photos courtesy of Cuorips Inc.]

4. Shellmet by Koushi Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.

Environmentally-friendly helmets made from scallop shells protecting visitors to the Expo

 

　There are many small workshops in Higashiosaka, which is known as a “town of manufacturing.” Koushi Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. has its manufacturing base in this area, and has manufactured plastic products since being established in 1969.

 　With the movement to reduce plastic use accelerating due to factors such as marine pollution and global warming, in 2022 Koushi Chemical Industry developed the Shellmet, using the shells from scallops that were discarded once the edible flesh was removed, in order to contribute to making society sustainable. The material used to make the Shellmet is Shelltec, made by combining scallop shells, which are primarily composed of calcium carbonate, with waste plastic and other materials from sources such as recycled appliances.

 　Shelltec was developed by Koushi Chemical Industry in collaboration with Professor UYAMA Hiroshi of the Osaka University Graduate School of Engineering. Compared to standard helmets, these helmets made with Shelltec allow for up to a 36% reduction in CO₂ emissions in the manufacturing process. Not only is there an improvement of approximately 33% in durability (bending elastic modulus) from mixing scallop shells with plastic, the unique design mimicking the structure of scallop shells also increases the Shellmet’s durability.

　The Shellmet is the official safety helmet of Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan, and there will be approximately 3,000 in use at the venue.

 

◆The tour will visit Koushi Chemical Industry’s manufacturing base and hear an explanation of the Shellmet project from Mr. NAMBARA Tetsuya, who was in charge of its development. There will also be an opportunity to see Shellmets being made, see the Shelltec they are made from, and the special design of the Shellmets that will be kept at the Expo venue.

[Photos courtesy of Koushi Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.]

5．Kiyomizu-dera Temple

Traditional Japanese construction techniques used in the Grand Ring, the symbol of the Expo, and the appeal of wooden architecture

 

 　Located in the east of Kyoto, partway up Mount Otowa, Kiyomizu-dera Temple has been a famous place of worship for Kannon since its founding in 778. Known for its stage jutting out from a sheer cliff, the main hall of the temple is designated as a National Treasure, and is the origin of the phrase “to leap from the stage at Kiyomizu,” meaning “to act decisively.” With the temple grounds covering an expansive 130,000 square meters and including Important Cultural Properties such as the Nioh-mon Gate and three-storied pagoda, in 1994 it was inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

　 The Grand Ring, the symbol of the Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan site, is made using a unique construction method in which the lumber used is fit together in a lattice-like pattern. This is a traditional Japanese method known as nuki, with the different pieces of lumber made into a lattice dispersing shocks as they support each other, providing excellent earthquake resistance.

　 This nuki method can be seen in use at Kiyomizu-dera Temple. The 13-meter high stage is supported by 18 pillars made of zelkova wood, spaced evenly and matched to the slope of the cliff, with numerous thick zelkova boards (nuki) passing through the pillars. This nuki method allows for an earthquake-resistant structure even along a cliff, where building is difficult, which has maintained its beauty for nearly 400 years*.

 　FUJIMOTO Sou, who designed the Grand Ring for the Expo site, has commented that the Ring “is an effort to combine tradition and the future with wooden construction using the nuki method reminiscent of the stage of Kiyomizu-dera Temple in Kyoto.” Through the Grand Ring, he would like to show the world how advanced wooden construction techniques are in Japan, and the potential they hold.

*Although Kiyomizu-dera Temple was established in 778, the main hall burned down in 1629, and was rebuilt in 1633.

 

◆The tour will visit Kiyomizu-dera Temple, and hear explanations from a guide while seeing the stage built using the nuki construction method also used for the Grand Ring of the Expo site.

 

 

 

 

[Tour Itinerary]

 1. Dates:

Wednesday, 26 June to Thursday, 27 June 2024

 

2. Schedule：

【Wednesday, 26 June】

06:51-09:15  Tokyo Station - Shin-Osaka Station (Nozomi #7)

10:20-11:45　Dr. SAWA Yoshiki, Professor Emeritus of Osaka University, a miniature prototype of “the living heart model”

11:55-12:40　Lunch

13:40-15:20　Shellmet by Koushi Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.

16:05-18:00　International Participants Meeting 2024 Summer

19:10 　　　   Arrive at hotel (Osaka)

 

【Thursday, 27 June】

07:50 　　　 Leave hotel

09:10-10:50   Kiyomizu-dera Temple

13:00-14:00   Lunch

14:15-16:00　The venue for Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan (Yumeshima Island)

17:00-17:45　Interviews with officials from the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition

19:00-21:27　Shin-Osaka Station - Tokyo Station (Nozomi #246)

 

3. Qualification:

Bearer of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan Press Registration Card

4. Cost:

11,000 yen per person, including transportation, accommodation (breakfast included).

*Information on payment and cancellation fees will be provided to participants.

*Participants will be required to pay their own transportation costs to the meeting place before the tour, and after the tour ends.

5. Participants:

Limited to 10 participants.

(Only one reporter or one photographer from each company, but two participants from each TV team will be acceptable.)

*If the number of participants exceeds the capacity, the organizer may make adjustments.

 

 

6．Please be sure to confirm and agree to the following before applying

6-1. Basic Information

(1) This tour is organized by the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition and run by the FPCJ.

(2) The schedule is subject to change without notice.

(3) This tour will require participants to bear a part of the cost but is not a profit-making venture.

(4) The Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition and the FPCJ take no responsibility for any accidents, injuries, illness, or other problems which occur during the tour. 

(5) There may be some restrictions on photographing and filming at the tour sites. Please follow the instructions of the staff in charge.

(6) This press tour is intended to provide opportunities for news coverage. We request that all participants send a copy of the content of their coverage (article, video, or audio in the case of radio) to the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition　through the FPCJ after their reports are published or aired. When your report is in a language other than English or Japanese, we also ask you to provide a summary in English or Japanese. By submitting your application, we assume that you have agreed to these conditions.

 

6-2．Handling of Personal Information

When applying for the tour, you agree to the below.

*Regarding the handling of personal information, the press tour sponsors and operators will respect Japan’s Act on the Protection of Personal Information and all other laws and guidelines on the protection of personal information, and handle personal information appropriately.

 

(1) The tour operators will, when there is a need to do so for the press tour, provide the personal information provided when applying (organization name, personal name, etc.) to other parties in the following cases:

-To arrange travel or insurance through travel agencies (Information provided to: Travel agencies, accommodation operators, transportation operators, insurance companies)

-To ensure smooth operations during the tour (Information provided to: Interpreters, stops on the tour, interviewees)

(2) The tour operators, to ensure smooth operation of the tour, will share the personal names and organization names of applicants with the tour sponsors.

 

6-3．Recordings by Press Tour Sponsors or Operators During the Tour

When applying for the tour, you agree to the below.

 (1) For the record-keeping purposes, the tour operators may film or photograph the tour while it is happening. The copyright holders for these photos or videos will be the tour sponsors.

(2) Photos, videos, or articles of the press tour may be uploaded to websites or social media accounts operated by the sponsors or operators.

(3) The likeness or voice of participants may appear in the abovementioned photos or videos, but you agree to their use by the sponsors or operators.

 

 

7．FPCJ Contact:

Ishikado, Shimizu

Media Relations Division

 (Tel: 03-3501-3405, E-mail: ma@fpcjpn.or.jp)

 

◆When applying for the tour, you agree to the following conditions◆

 

-　Press tours have participants from multiple media organizations, and interviews, filming, and photographing are generally carried out jointly. There is no guarantee that you will be able to perform individual interviews or take individual videos at any of the stops on the tour.

-　You must follow the instructions of the tour sponsor and operators regarding the tour schedule, timing, and restrictions on taking videos or photos. If you refuse to follow instructions, you will no longer be allowed to participate in the press tour from that point on.