“LIVE EARTH JOURNEY” pavilion offers an immersive, multi-sensory voyage through the cycles of life, designed by visionary creator Shoji Kawamori. He reimagines the relationship between humans, nature, and the cosmos, emphasizing a future society that transcends anthropocentric thinking. The pavilion’s striking architecture, composed of modular “cells” that resemble living organisms, houses the Super Space-Time Theater where visitors embark on an odyssey through interconnected realms, from the microscopic to the cosmic.

Shoji Kawamori Presents “LIVE EARTH JOURNEY” Pavilion

Two immersive experiences are presented, both created with composer Yoko Kanno. First, “Deep Vision 499 Seconds: My Gattai” is an ambitious and deeply symbolic installation that merges cutting-edge technology with a ritualistic sensibility. The second one is the groundbreaking “ANIMA!” installation, where sound, visuals, and haptic vibrations merge to create a full-body experience that celebrates the rhythm and energy of life. Each exhibit invites reflection on our place within the planetary web.

The LIVE EARTH JOURNEY pavilion stands as a testament to the Expo’s guiding theme, offering a profound, emotional, and intellectual encounter with the miracle of existence, and urging visitors to reconsider what it means to live in harmony with the world around us.

Yoichi Ochiai Presents “null²: Forging Lives” Pavilion © 2024 General Incorporated Association Digital Nature and Arts

In the “null²: Forging Lives” pavilion, media artist Yoichi Ochiai reimagines the notion of identity and existence in a world increasingly shaped by digital technology. Designed in collaboration with architect Keisuke Toyoda, this futuristic space embodies the concept of the Mirrored Body, where the boundaries between the physical and digital selves dissolve. The pavilion’s exterior, a shimmering, undulating membrane of mirrors, reflects and distorts the surrounding landscape, turning the act of observation itself into a poetic experience.

Inside, visitors encounter a hall of digital mirrors, an immersive theatre of interactive screens where their likeness, captured through a dedicated app, is transformed into a living avatar. These avatars, shaped by AI and enriched by the visitors’ responses to generative questions, evolve into autonomous digital alter egos that converse and behave independently. As the mirrors ripple and the digital bodies multiply, the experience becomes a meditation on presence, selfhood, and the future of human interaction.

Ochiai’s null² is a bold artistic statement, an invitation to reconsider what it means to be alive in an era where identities are mutable, bodies are data, and our very sense of reality is refracted through an endless, shimmering field of digital mirrors.

Pasona Natureverse Pavilion

The Pasona Natureverse Pavilion embodies a simple yet profound message: “Thank You, Life”. Designed by Satoshi Itasaka in a spiral form inspired by ammonites, the pavilion symbolizes the resilience and interconnectedness of life. Its modular structure is built for sustainability, destined to be relocated to Awaji Island after the Expo, extending its impact beyond the event.

Inside, the journey begins with the Tree of Life Evolution, a soaring installation that traces life’s progression from roots to leaves, echoing the spirit of Taro Okamoto’s Tower of the Sun. In the Body Zone, visitors encounter the marvel of regenerative medicine, including a pulsating iPS-derived heart, curated by Dr. Yoshiki Sawa. Other highlights include Cyberdyne’s HAL cyborg suit and futuristic sleep technologies, offering glimpses into the potential of human-technology symbiosis.

Guided by Astro Boy and Black Jack, the Mind Zone invites reflection on empathy, mutual support, and the future of society. The pavilion begins with a 3D film, The Birth of Neo Astro Boy, and culminates in a kinetic LED cube spectacle, the NATUREVERSE Show, blending cosmic narrative and emotional resonance, scored by Akira Senju. Throughout, the message remains clear: gratitude and connection are the roots of a vibrant, sustainable future.

Beyond these, Expo 2025 Osaka offers a kaleidoscope of national and thematic pavilions. The UAE Pavilion, themed Earth to Ether, blends date-palm architecture with visions of space exploration. The Nordic Pavilion champions sustainability, while Canada’s ice-inspired design evokes renewal. The USA Pavilion’s bold, modern forms reflect industrial ambition, while Italy’s Laboratory of Beauty celebrates tradition and innovation under a wave-like roof. Belgium explores water across three levels, and China’s scroll-shaped pavilion embodies harmony between tradition and technology. Each pavilion tells a story of culture, of aspiration, of a shared future shaped by creativity and care.

Expo 2025 Osaka emerges as a grand stage where nations and innovators converge to envision the future of humanity. Each pavilion offers a window into the dreams, challenges, and commitments that define our shared era. Together, these diverse expressions illuminate a central theme: that in an increasingly interconnected world, it is not only technological prowess but empathy, creativity, and a respect for life’s intricate web that will shape a vibrant and sustainable future. As visitors journey through these imaginative spaces, they are invited to reflect, connect, and contribute to a collective story, one where the seeds of tomorrow are sown in the dreams of today. Expo 2025 is an invitation to reimagine the world as a place of infinite possibility, shaped by the brilliance of human imagination and the quiet resilience of nature itself.

EXPO 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan
Date: April 13th – October 13th, 2025
Place: Yumeshima, Osaka
https://www.expo2025.or.jp