Walking Expo 2024 Osaka, Kansai from a PR Perspective | On-site Experience Report Featuring the “Future City” Pavilion
Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai opened in April 2025. This large-scale event, which has attracted attention from around the world, is seeing even more excitement as its closing draws near. Entering September, the intense summer heat has finally begun to subside, making it possible to walk around comfortably.
SUNNY SIDE UP is handling the PR for multiple projects at this Expo. Among them, I, Fujimura, will report on my observations while walking through the venue from a third-party perspective as a PR professional familiar with the front lines of public relations, focusing on the “Future City” Pavilion, for which we strategically implemented PR from July 2024 until the opening in April 2025.
In addition to the pavilion exhibits, we will focus on the mechanisms of venue operation and information dissemination to consider the role of PR at the Expo.
Experience Report from Walking the Venue & Insights from a PR Perspective
Stepping into Yumeshima, Osaka, the venue for the event, the first thing that overwhelms you is the sense of scale and the palpable energy. A diverse range of exhibits from countries, regions, and corporations were gathered in one place, each welcoming visitors as a “showcase for a future society.” While it was a space that felt exciting just to walk through, the entire venue also felt like a massive experimental site.
The “Grand Roof Ring,” the symbol of the Expo venue, is also truly impressive. In fact, the design was handled by architect Sosuke Fujimoto. Speaking of Mr. Fujimoto, he was also in charge of the venue design for the 2017 “CRAFT SAKE WEEK at Roppongi Hills” hosted by SUNNY SIDE UP, which became a major topic of conversation for its dynamic spatial presentation that looked like cherry blossoms in full bloom.
I conducted research beforehand using a mix of TikTok and web articles, and the pavilions that were frequently featured were indeed very popular on-site as well. I truly felt that the level of visitor attention is directly linked to the power of dissemination on social media and in the press. When organizing the common elements of actually successful pavilions, there are three main factors.
- Clarity: Simplicity that allows the theme and exhibits to be understood at a glance
- Mechanisms for Participant Involvement: Immersive, experiential, and interactive elements
- Presentation Mindful of Social Media Sharing: Designs that make people instinctively want to take photos and videos
These are the very basic principles of PR, and I was reminded once again that even in a giant event, “ingenuity in communication” and “mechanisms for expansion” powerfully support the visitor experience and information dissemination.
I believe that creating mechanisms where visitors themselves “want to share” through their experiences, rather than just flowing information in one direction, leads to both improved visitor satisfaction and the spread of information.
“Future City” Pavilion Report
The “Future City” Pavilion, a co-creation between the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition and 12 of Japan’s leading companies and organizations, is a major focus of attention at the Expo. SUNNY SIDE UP strategically implemented PR from July 2024 until the opening. By continuously holding media events in four installments, we increased interest not only among general consumers but also among the media.
Through four events over the year, we secured approximately 1,960 media exposures, including 34 TV features. Furthermore, at the press preview held ahead of other pavilions one month before the opening—a timing when media expectations were high—we successfully attracted approximately 150 media representatives, including 9 TV stations. The catchphrase for this pavilion is “Inventions for the Future.” Through multifaceted exhibits, it prompted visitors to consider the form of a “happy city” as envisioned by Society 5.0.
Another characteristic feature is that the architecture itself serves as an “experimental site for a future society.” The exterior walls utilize the world’s first “photocatalytic mesh membrane.” It reportedly possesses air purification functions that decompose harmful substances like exhaust gases using sunlight, as well as self-cleaning functions that wash away dirt using rainwater. Isn’t that amazing…?
Furthermore, by using a white mesh, it contributes to “reducing energy consumption” through heat-shielding effects and insulation from its double-layered structure.
Additionally, “CARBON POOL Concrete,” which absorbs and fixes CO2, is used for the venue’s floors and benches. It is reportedly attracting attention as a “third sink,” following green carbon from forests and blue carbon from the oceans. I was also able to experience practical examples of a circular economy, such as the recycling of surplus fresh concrete from the construction process.
The internal exhibits are also well worth seeing. Immersive experiences continue, such as an attraction themed around a “4-Billion-Year Journey of Happiness” that transcends time and space, and another depicting life in 2035 themed around dialogue with the future. Each participant’s unique strengths were integrated into stories of solving social issues, such as Kawasaki Heavy Industries’ future public transportation system “ALICE SYSTEM,” Mitsui O.S.K. Lines’ wind-powered “Wind Hunter,” and Kubota’s research institute for the future of “Food and Agriculture.”
What personally captured my heart was the completely new personal mobility device “CORLEO”, unveiled by the Kawasaki Heavy Industries Group at the “Future City” of Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai. It is a four-legged walking machine with a form reminiscent of a lion, and I instinctively thought, “I want this…!”
The concept is “Moving Instinct.” There is research suggesting that humans are “equipped at a genetic level with a mechanism to feel happiness by moving,” and knowledge that “visiting unknown places stimulates and activates the brain.” CORLEO is a new category of mobility born to unleash such instincts.
In addition to the four-legged terrain-conquering capability provided by robotics, it combines the maneuverability and stability cultivated through motorcycles, truly embodying the spirit of “Fun to Ride.” It can be operated intuitively through the rider’s shift in center of gravity, and because the machine provides support, even beginners can safely navigate terrain that would be difficult for tires, such as mountains or water. Furthermore, it incorporates a mechanism that uses hydrogen as fuel, demonstrating the form of future eco-mobility.
Running up mountains, breathing in the clear air, and feeling the magnificent view spreading out before you with your whole body. Imagining an experience like roaming through nature astride an animal, my excitement wouldn’t stop.
What makes this pavilion stand out is that the exhibits are not merely technical introductions but are designed to involve visitors actively.
It was designed so that visitors could engage with the exhibits through a process of not just “seeing” but also “feeling, thinking, and choosing,” allowing them to internalize the vision as their own future.
Other Pavilions
In addition to the “Future City” Pavilion, there were many other attractive exhibits.
◾️Australia Pavilion
The theme of the Australia Pavilion is “Chasing the Sun — To the Land of the Sun.” The exhibition consists of three areas—Land, Sky, and Sea—and is a pavilion where you can experience the nature of Australia, which boasts a land area approximately 20 times that of Japan, in a condensed form.
Stepping inside, the first thing that greets you is an area recreating a eucalyptus forest. The sense of scale was enough to make me forget I was indoors, and the floor-to-ceiling mirrors made the forest appear to stretch on infinitely.
After passing through the Sky area, where the “Emu in the Sky” constellation used by Indigenous people as a guide for the arrival of the rainy season floats, you enter a sea space with a large 360-degree screen. Footage of a journey across Australia with the sun is projected across the walls and ceiling.
The scenes of Australia shown on the ultra-high-definition monitors were simply beautiful…! Combined with 3D audio and wind effects, it was extremely immersive.
◾️Mie Prefecture Booth
The “Mie Prefecture Booth,” exhibiting within the Kansai Pavilion where nine prefectures participate, is divided into three zones: “Encounter,” “Discover,” and “Depart.”
First, in the “Encounter” zone, an 8-meter-long “Time Tunnel” appears. Scenery from within the prefecture, such as the Suzuka Circuit and the Meoto Iwa (Wedded Rocks) in Ise City, was projected one after another, allowing visitors to experience a mini-trip.
In the “Discover” zone, the prefecture is divided into five areas, and in addition to introducing their charms through panel videos, there were mechanisms to engage all five senses, such as touching and smelling. Opening drawers in the wall revealed exhibits such as a 1.5-meter life-sized model of a giant salamander and “Katayaki” rice crackers associated with ninjas, which are said to be the hardest in Japan.
In the final “Depart” zone, visitors could check information on over 200 tourist facilities in the prefecture via touch panels, and concierges proposed plans tailored to visitors’ interests. Additionally, the Mie Prefecture Booth featured special limited-time exhibits, and because the content changes, efforts were made to ensure repeat visitors would not get bored.
◾️Future Life Village (FLV)
The Future Life Village (FLV) is a pavilion themed around “Future Living” and “Action for the Future,” where diverse participants gather to experience co-creation through exhibits and dialogue.
At the venue, exhibits and experiences regarding “Future Food, Culture, and Healthcare” are presented by a diverse range of participants, from large organizations like JAXA and the Cabinet Office to small and medium-sized enterprises and small groups. There is also the “TEAM EXPO Pavilion,” where participants themselves declare their actions for the future, and introductions to “Best Practices,” 25 outstanding initiatives solving global issues, allowing visitors to learn about various approaches to social challenges.
The fixtures and equipment used in the pavilion also feature benches and shelves made from recycled materials created through the co-creation of various workshops, with the aim of spreading Japan’s new value to the world through design and craftsmanship. The building itself incorporates sustainable designs throughout, such as cooling by circulating rainwater, making it a place where one can truly feel the form of a future society.
◾️ EU Pavilion
The last place I visited was the EU Pavilion. The relationship between the European Union (EU) and Japan began in 1959, and since then, both have collaborated closely in a wide range of fields, including the promotion of peace and democracy, respect for human rights, and the promotion of fair trade. In recent years, they have also focused on climate change measures and the promotion of digital transformation, which are deeply connected to the Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai theme of “Designing Future Society.”
The entire pavilion was designed based on the principles of the “New European Bauhaus,” and the creation of an eco-friendly space utilizing materials that would normally be discarded, such as cork sofas and pot covers made from recycled coffee grounds, was impressive. I felt that the opportunity to experience sustainable design with the future in mind is a unique attraction of this pavilion.
Learning from the “Front-line Capabilities” Supporting the Venue
What also left an impression was the thoroughness of waste separation. Many trash cans were installed at the venue, and staff were stationed at each one. They were carefully guiding visitors on how to separate their waste.
Venue operation with not a single piece of trash
There was no trash dropped on the roadside, and the staff “instructing” on separation were like “waste separation masters.” I felt that their thoroughness had raised awareness to the point where waste separation had become a lifestyle habit not only for visitors but for the operating staff themselves. Not only that, but the attitude of each staff member at the venue “straightforwardly fulfilling their assigned work” stood out. There was a sense of security in every interaction, which had the power to make one think, “I’m glad I came to the Expo.”
What moved me most personally was the operation of the taxi stand on the way back. When the shuttle buses were full and I chose a taxi, there was a long line in front of me. However, the line moved surprisingly fast. The reason was not just the number of waiting taxis. It was the presence of a staff member managing the area with a megaphone in hand.
That staff member was giving instantaneous and precise instructions to the taxi drivers, the guidance staff, and the customers, controlling the entire flow. What was particularly impressive was how they gave detailed instructions to the drivers to encourage smooth boarding and alighting. As a result, the line cleared in no time, and visitor stress was kept to a minimum.
This scene was truly a “textbook on front-line responsiveness.” Even in the field of PR, where unexpected situations occur one after another, the ability to calmly oversee the whole and give appropriate instructions to those involved is required. From the actions of the Expo staff, I was reminded once again that the presence of the person moving the front lines determines the results.
The Power of PR and Communication Connecting Future Society
What I felt while walking through Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai this time was the significant role that PR and communication play.
- Creating points of contact with society
- Preventing misunderstandings and encouraging correct understanding
- Delivering complex themes as an “experience”
I realized once again that these roles are indispensable for the success of international events.
The involvement of SUNNY SIDE UP GROUP in international projects carries a meaning beyond mere public relations activities. How to understand the thoughts of companies and visitors who are shaping the vision of a future society and communicate that to society. I felt that this challenge expands the possibilities of PR and provides hints for considering the future form of communication.
At SUNNY SIDE UP, we handle PR communication for various products and services.
What can be achieved through the power of communication? We welcome consultations starting from such questions. Please feel free to contact us using the “CONTACT” button below.
