Local governments to showcase products and reconstruction work at Osaka Expo
Eye-catching items will include a 1-meter "Wajima-nuri" lacquerware globe from Ishikawa Prefecture, where a 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck on Jan. 1, 2024. Made over five years, the globe escaped damage from the earthquake.
"We are eager to show the strength of Wajima-nuri, which has not been broken by the earthquake," Ishikawa Gov. Hiroshi Hase said.
At a booth to introduce the food culture of Ishikawa, visitors will be offered several kinds of local sake and traditional cuisine made from local ingredients.
Fukushima Prefecture will have a one-day booth in July that will have a video depicting the effects of the nuclear accident caused by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. The height of the tsunami that hit the prefecture will also be shown on a column at the booth.
"We will describe Fukushima's current situation correctly to wipe out harmful rumors," a prefectural official said.
The prefecture also plans to hold a tasting event featuring homegrown peaches at the booth with the hope of attracting tourists from Osaka.
Tokushima Prefecture will have a permanent booth with wallpaper dyed in 47 colors using natural indigo dye. The prefecture is one of Japan's main producers of such dye. Videos of the "Awa Odori" traditional local dance and whirlpools in the Naruto Channel will also be displayed on a screen 7 meters wide and 3 meters high.
Visitors to the Tokushima booth will be able to get a coupon to ride on expressway buses and ferries to Tokushima for ¥500.
"The Expo is an entrance to Tokushima," a prefectural official said, expressing hope that visitors to the event will also come to the prefecture.
During an event to promote regional revitalization and the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals hosted by the Cabinet Office, the town of Kamishihoro in Hokkaido will introduce its work on biomass power generation.
"We hope that carbon reduction efforts will spread across Japan," a town official said.
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Yomiuri Shimbun
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Yomiuri Shimbun
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Tokyo Weekender
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List of Contents: A Crack in the Extraordinary The Modern Pantheon About Hiroshi Naito More Information Related Posts A Crack in the Extraordinary 'When you find yourself in this mysterious space, with the first floor deeply reminiscent of the ancient Jomon period and the second floor and above extending into the future, you will forget the routine of everyday life and feel a 'crack in the extraordinary,' says Toshiaki Maruyama, Chairman of the RINRI Institute of Ethics. Although it's not immediately obvious from the outside, Kioi Seido's concrete cube form is supported by four polygonal pillars. They cocoon an installation on the ground floor, which features 18,800 glass pieces laid in a ring formation, each representing someone lost or missing in the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011. The charcoal-colored tiles that coat the space all vary in sheen and shape, many of them repurposed from tiles originally used in Shimane Prefecture's Kametani kiln. Requiem for the Great East Japan Earthquake From the second floor upward, warm cedar planks, exposed concrete and beams form a four-story atrium, shrouded in light and shadow. Nine craters on the ceiling form sky lights that feel at once futuristic and timeless, each tapering upward in a slight curve. As you climb up each story and walk around, every angle offers a new perspective. The Modern Pantheon Ascending Kioi Seido's staircases is a peaceful, comforting experience, but also strangely hypnotic — it feels as though you're suspended in time and space, divorced from the external world. Naito was drawn to the Pantheon in Rome, the only Roman building to remain practically intact for centuries. He endeavored to create something immortal and innately magnetic. 'Neither the purpose nor the function of [the Pantheon] is well understood,' reads Naito's statement. 'If the question was to be purposeless, I wanted to build a modern Pantheon.' In conceptualizing Kioi Seido, Naito engaged with questions of tradition and modernity posed by architect Seiichi Shirai. In his hugely influential essay 'The Jomon Style' (1956), Shirai uses the raw, unmediated aesthetic sensibility of Jomon period objects as a vehicle to argue that architects must look beyond easily recognizable stylistic elements, and focus on the 'inner potential' — the underlying spirit — of forms. 'I believe [Shirai's inquiry] was an alarm bell to a society that was striving for rapid modernization,' Naito remarks. 'Seventy years have passed since then, and I took the question posed this time as the same one.' Naito is likely referencing what's known as the 'Jomon–Yayoi dichotomy,' a concept that gained traction among Japanese architects in the postwar period. Sparked by a broader national conversation about identity and tradition, the debate centered on whether Japanese architecture should draw inspiration from the raw, expressive forms of the Jomon period or the more refined, orderly aesthetics of the Yayoi era. Using raw concrete, a material used since ancient times, and glass, a highly precise and refined industrial product, Naito symbolically melds the elements of tradition and modernity into a harmonious whole. While the building's complexity and beauty alone is reason enough to visit, the exhibition of Naito's meticulous notes, sketches and diaries offers a fascinating glimpse into his mind. From the second floor up, you can browse 40 years worth of his plans, inspirations and thoughts. On the floor of the atrium is an installation named the 'Mandala of Words,' showcasing fragments from Naito's writings. Mandala of Words About Hiroshi Naito Born in 1950 in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Hiroshi Naito is one of Japan's most acclaimed and visionary architects. Upon earning a bachelor's and master's degree in architecture from Waseda University, he worked under architect Fernando Higueras in Madrid and under architect Kiyonori Kikutake in Tokyo. Naito established his own firm, Naito Architect & Associates in 1981, and was a professor at the University of Tokyo from 2001 to 2011, when he became professor emeritus. His major architectural works include the Toba Sea-Folk Museum (1992), the Shimane Arts Center (2005) and the Kusunagi Sports Complex Gymnasium (2015). Naito's creations emphasize the harmony between the built environment and its natural surroundings, with a focus on technical durability and sustainability. Often balancing wooden and concrete textures, his gently minimalistic works evoke warmth and humility. More Information Exhibition Title: 'Architect Hiroshi Naito – Anything and Everything: Diaries and Sketches of Thoughts in Kioi Seido' Dates & Hours: July 1 – September 30, 2025 Open Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays (excluding holidays and closure dates: Aug 12, 14, 16 & Sep 23), from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. (last entry 3:30 p.m.) Admission: Free, no reservation required Address: Kioi Seido, Ethics Research Institute 3-1 Kioicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo (10 min from JR Yotsuya / 5–6 min from nearby subway stations) Notes: – No parking or luggage storage – No high heels allowed inside – Restrooms located on the first floor – Photography is allowed, without tripods – Please refrain from taking photos of the notebook exhibits, talking loudly, eating or drinking Related Posts The Most Beautiful Libraries in Japan Awaji Island: Where Stunning Nature Meets World-Class Architecture Kenzo Tange: Japan's Most Influential Architect | Spotlight The Architecture of Sou Fujimoto: Primordial Future Forest
