Israel’s participation in the World Expo Osaka 2025 exhibition was smaller than what its organizers had expected, but this may have been just what it needed to deliver its message in a time where hostilities against Israeli-led events are the norm.
Although the event concluded on Tuesday, The Jerusalem Post was able to visit what was promised to be the best technology and innovation convention of the decade.
Hosted in a specially built neighborhood in Osaka, Japan, this was the first time since 1970 that an event of this type had been held in the country. The exhibition’s focus was on an alignment with current trends in innovation, specifically sustainable development and the integration of natural elements into technological advancements.
To this end, the Japan pavilion showcased, for instance, a new type of algae with properties similar to plastics in terms of applicability, but with the key difference of being biodegradable.
Some special pavilions, developed around themes rather than countries, also focused on these concepts. The Better Co-Being Signature Pavilion used AI and 3D haptics to guide its visitors through an open-air art expo, with their heartbeats determining the optimal position for experiencing the art and providing a unique experience for every participant.
“The future of life” in the complex’s central pavilion explored what life has been like over the past thousand years and what it will be like in the next thousand years, providing an exposition on the role of AI and androids in the future.
This particular pavilion focused on a problem that seems to bother Japan only nowadays, but might become a worldwide topic soon: the concept of androids replacing humans after they die, and the idea that memories can keep someone alive even after they pass away.
Israel at the Osaka World Expo
Israel’s participation in the World Expo did not follow its typical representation, which includes a flashy pavilion showcasing Israel’s culture and the latest technological advancements, organizers told the Post.
Although the option to build a dedicated facility was initially considered, a lack of funding and unfavorable timing made it impossible to implement.
“Between political instability and communication problems, we couldn’t get our original idea done,” said Josh Bendit, the director of the Israeli Pavilion.
“There was a point when we actually wondered if it was worth participating, but the official message was clear: We have to be present in the world fair, especially now,” he added.
That was when, according to the pavilion’s team, the idea of a double stand was born: One stand would sell Israeli products and souvenirs. In contrast, the main stand would feature a small showcase of Israel’s traditions and technological capabilities in a reduced space.
This type of display is unique to Israel. It used a stone brought from Jerusalem as its main attraction, while also projecting images and texts that displayed Israeli developments and society-related themes as a whole.
“I just took the position as a part-time job without thinking much about what it meant, but I really managed to get a new idea of what Israel really stands for,” said Shota, one of the employees working at the stand.
Additionally, the option to write and send wishes to the Western Wall was used by almost all 100,000 visitors, with organizers telling the Post that requests came from nearly every country, including Arab nations.
“We had almost two million visitors, but tense situations – something that became common since the beginning of the war in Israeli-related expositions – were almost minimal and didn’t disrupt the event,” Haruki Tanaka, the protocol manager of the Israel Pavilion, said.
In other words, Israel’s reduced presence may have helped it achieve its objectives even in a time when hostilities against Israeli events tend to attract anti-Zionists or more problems than benefits.
US, Germany, and UAE were some of the honorable mentions
There were hundreds of national stands, with the Post taking a deeper dive into three of them: the US’s, Germany’s, and the United Arab Emirates’ displays.
America’s pavilion featured songs, a special message from US President Donald Trump thanking visitors for attending, and the latest developments in science and technology from American innovators.
The show in this facility began by exhibiting various cultural aspects of the United States, ranging from sports to natural wonders and historic sites. It then focused on three key developments in AI, science, and practical technologies developed by American companies. Finally, it presented its next-generation space exploration programs, centered around the Artemis program.
According to this, NASA plans to send humans back to the moon, as well as develop accessible space tourism.
Germany’s pavilion focused on current innovations implemented or tested in Germany that can be exported to Japan and the world in the near future.
“We are showcasing the first fully hydrogen-operated train line, which operates in Lower Saxony. It reduces the environmental impact of trains drastically,” Christopher Hecker, the pavilion’s director, said.
Another development on display was a new type of fungus being tested in Germany as a construction material. It is designed to offer better insulation capabilities than current market options, while also providing sustainability benefits.
“The reality is that we had to focus on the Japanese public. That is why we offered karaoke nights and a marketable mascot, which won the most popular mascot vote in this edition. But we also wanted to share German culture. This is why we have a restaurant with German employees and things like Bundesliga (Germany’s soccer league) evenings,” Hecker said.
The UAE also had an impressive pavilion that showcased the blend of cultural traditions and their impact on technological advancements. The main points it focused on were health, architecture, and space exploration, with the last one being the centerpiece of the exposition.
To this end, for instance, the UAE presented a traditional Emirati loom to depict its advancements in genome analysis, and displayed traditional Emirati buildings to illustrate its space exploration program.
Road to Riyadh 2030
The next World Expo event will be hosted in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in 2030. Some countries shared their plans for this upcoming event with the Post.
“In Osaka in 1970, Germany showcased its advancements in music and digital production, something that a couple of years later became the norm in the industry,” Hecker said.
“We hope that something similar will happen in 2030, with the developments that we showed here becoming the norm worldwide,” he continued.
“Our main objective is maintaining the spirit of all World Expos: A place where the world comes together to share their culture and their inventions in order to inspire future generations and create a better tomorrow,” Hecker added.
South America has big plans for the next edition as well. Case in point, unlike many of the nations in Osaka who participated with smaller pavilions, Brazil, Colombia, and Peru had large displays emphasizing tourism and culture.
“We hope that in the next edition we can manage to do a collaborative exposition by all South American nations,” Brazil’s pavilion director, Marcello Martins, said.
“South America has unlimited potential, and we hope we can show that to the world in the next edition by working together and creating an experience like has never been done before,” he added.