Osaka Expo Visit #5: April 29, 2025

Scenes from the Day

Future City Pavilion

As part of the Future Society showcase at Expo 2025, the Future City Pavilion stood out as a bold vision of innovation and human aspiration. Its theme, “the city of happiness,” came to life through contributions from Japanese companies across industries—from manufacturing and food production to energy, transportation, and mobility.

The pavilion is a highly interactive experience with dazzling digital displays and hands-on activities. It briefly walked us through the evolution of civilization: from Society 1.0, the dawn of human settlement, to the cutting-edge concept of *Society 5.0.

*As defined by Expo 2025:“Society 5.0 is a new future society that aims to balance economic growth with solutions to social challenges through systems that integrate virtual and real spaces, such as the Internet.”

One of the most memorable experiences took place In the world tree...—a dazzling array of reflective digital screens—where with a wave of my hand, I could participate and control the steps of a futuristic waste management process.

Future City didn’t just showcase emerging technologies from Japanese companies; it offered an exciting glimpse of how Japan is working to shape the cities of tomorrow. From food innovation and healthcare advancements to mobility and environmental solutions, it demonstrated how Japan’s brightest minds are already building a better, more sustainable future.

More Future City...(updates from 2nd visit to pavilion on Sept.10. (visit 28)

It’s always a privilege to make a second visit to a pavilion at Expo—each time reveals something new.

The Expo Association and its 12 partner companies continue to inspire us with their vision of “what kind of tomorrow awaits us.”

On my second visit—and guided tour—of Future City, I learned that:

1. The pavilion’s exterior is made with a double mesh membrane skin that naturally washes away dirt with rainwater while also purifying the surrounding air.

2. This massive white structure, measuring 150 meters x 33 meters, is the first in the world to use this membrane technology on such a scale.

The building itself is more than architecture—it stands as a monument to sustainability.

This time, I also experienced the ‘Mirai (Future) Theater' feature. This hybrid experience features a live performer guiding us through virtual interactions where we explore future possibilities and make choices aimed at solving some of the global issues facing us.   

Future City and Society 5.0 is leading us to a better tomorrow!

 More Future City pics:

COMMONS D Building:

The countries dotting D were fun to explore - each sharing sights, cultural tidbits, activist efforts, and commitment to the well-being of people and the planet.

• I played the ‘Djembe’ drum in the Burkina Faso and gave a mini-lesson to a young child

• In Moldova, I learned a little bit about their culture, wine production, and was surprised to discover they have an official National Wine Day holiday. (I still mistake Moldova for the fake country on the original Dynasty series years ago – Moldavia).

• Liberia highlighted the critical issue of gender equity and equality in education through their Educate HER campaign and showed off the beauty of their traditional wood-carved figures

• Scrap metal found new life as ferocious life-like sculptures in Nigeria, as well as plastics repurposed as a fashionable tote, inviting us to be ‘a part of the solution, not the pollution’, when it comes to climate change

• The youngest nation in the world, South Sudan, flew their flag for Expo to see

Stay tuned...More visits to come.

*Burton Consulting International (BCI) is sharing our personal summary accounts of our expo visits to share the wonders, innovations, inspiration, and cultural richness of EXPO 2025 with those who cannot attend in person.