THE BLUE DIALOGUE: THE OCEAN AND OUR FUTURE AT OSAKA EXPO 2025

The World Expo happens only once every five years. It is a grand collaboration of many countries, and this year, 158 countries were involved and a total of 188 pavilions. Attendance is 24 million (as of late September), compared to the 64 million who visited the previous Osaka Expo in 1970.

- MYLENE MENDOZA-DAYRIT

The entrance to the Spanish pavilion involves climbing a lot of steps reminiscent of the Spanish Steps and the vast plazas across Spain. You exit the Spanish pavilion in a sunny hallway full of postcards and videos inviting visitors to go to Spain. From 'postcards to posts,' they encourage experiencing what they see so they can post it themselves in their socials.

That is also because the 1970 Expo sat on 330 hectares compared to this year’s 155. The 2020 Dubai Expo was one of the largest at 438 hectares, while the 2010 Shanghai Expo was pegged the largest at 528 hectares.

The 2000 Hanover Expo was focused on “Humanity, Nature, Technology,” specifically balancing the impact of technology on the environment and society. The 2010 Shanghai Expo centered on “Better City - Better Life,” the 2015 Milan Expo tackled food security with the theme “Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life,” and the 2020 Dubai Expo was all about “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future.”

While the successful expos above focused on macro concepts, the current expo is the first World Expo on the theme of the intrinsic value of life and the quality of individual existence. The core theme, “Designing Future Society for Our Lives,” had three sub-themes, which were also followed in grouping the pavilions. These were “Saving Lives” (protection and health), “Empowering Lives” (potential and quality), and “Connecting Lives” (community and society).

It was impressive how the whole expo was conceptualized to manage the more than 200,000 visitors per day. There was a massive, circular, elevated wooden walkway known as the Grand Ring, designed by multi-awarded Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto. There were many ways to access the viewing level — via escalator, elevator, and stairs.