Update-date: Apr 08 2025
Categories:
Osaka
The International Exposition "2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo" will be held from April 13 (Sunday) to October 13 (Monday), 2025, at Yumeshima in Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture. One of its highlights, the signature pavilion "EARTH MART," themed around food and life, created by Mr. Kundo Koyama, has unveiled all its contents.
What is EARTH MART?
Osaka Yumeshima, the venue for the 2025 Osaka-Kansai ExpoOsaka Yumeshima, the venue for the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo
The "2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo" will open in April 2025. Within the vast venue of approximately 155 hectares, over 180 pavilions from both domestic and international participants will be showcased under the theme of "Designing a Future Society in which Life Shines." This time, they will highlight the pavilion related to food, "EARTH MART."
The architecture symbolizes a large thatched roof made from reeds collected from various regions across the country, including Aso in Kumamoto, Gotemba in Shizuoka, Yodogawa in Osaka, Maruyama in Shiga, and Hiruzensan in Okayama. The architecture symbolizes a large thatched roof made from reeds collected from various regions across the country, including Aso in Kumamoto, Gotemba in Shizuoka, Yodogawa in Osaka, Maruyama in Shiga, and Hiruzensan in Okayama.
"EARTH MART" is named based on the idea that the Earth itself is a "market" for all living beings. "EARTH MART" is named based on the idea that the Earth itself is a "market" for all living beings.
The signature pavilion 'EARTH MART', created by Kaoru Koyama, is located at the center of the expo site and is considered one of the highlights of the '2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo'. With the theme 'Considering life through food', it prompts visitors to reflect on how many 'other lives' a person consumes throughout their lifetime, fostering a sense of gratitude towards life and food, and reexamining the meaning of the phrase 'itadakimasu'—a Japanese expression of appreciation before meals. By resetting various common perceptions through food, it questions what is truly important for life.
Revealing the full picture of EARTH MART
"EARTH MART" is an imaginary supermarket where one can touch the cycle of food and life and encounter hints for the future. It invites visitors on a journey to neutrally reconsider the present of food, exploring traditions, culture, social issues, and technology, while seeking the joy of eating and hints for weaving life into the next era.
Reexamining the fact that food is life: 'The Floor of Life'Reexamining the fact that food is life: 'The Floor of Life'
At the "Inochi no Floor," the aim is to reflect on the fact that food is "life" and to foster a sense of gratitude towards other lives and nature in each visitor. It offers various experiences that allow visitors to reset their preconceived notions, facing new ways of eating, all while feeling excited as if they were shopping in a supermarket.
Color of Life
There are numerous ingredients that Japanese people consume, and 300 of them have been selected. These ingredients have been photographed in 816 cuts, sealed in jars, and arranged in a showcase style. Food has 'color,' which is also the color of 'life.' One can understand that this vibrancy adds color to our meals.
The Life of Vegetables
Everything used in this exhibition comes from the vegetable fields of farmer Masatari Iwasaki in Unzen City, Nagasaki Prefecture, born from a year of cultivation. The process does not end with harvesting; they watch over the crops until they wither, collect the seeds, and then sow those seeds again. The exhibition showcases the form of 'the life of vegetables' that emerges from the fields of farmers who have been practicing traditional agriculture for generations.
The most commonly eaten fish
The fish most consumed on Earth, the "sardine," is written in kanji as 鰯 (fish + weak), but it actually supports the most lives on the planet. A single Pacific sardine lays about 100,000 eggs in its lifetime, but it is continuously preyed upon by other animals, with an estimated survival rate of less than 0.1%. Furthermore, if it is estimated that humans catch only about 10% of that, only about 10 fish remain. Of those, 70% (7 fish) become feed for farmed fish, and we directly consume about 3 fish. Sardines continue to support other lives while fluctuating in number according to the marine environment.
The Life of Livestock
The photos displayed were all taken by Akari Takimi, a livestock photographer who continues to capture images of livestock animals. Alongside the packaged meat displayed in supermarkets, the livestock photos are exhibited, conveying the message that "lives are raised for people to eat. In other words, lives are born for us to live."
A lifetime's worth of eggs
The number of eggs a Japanese person consumes in a lifetime is approximately 28,000. This amount is among the highest in the world, with over 300 eggs consumed annually. This chandelier-like object is made to represent that quantity. Below it, a giant fried egg is displayed, created using what is estimated to be the equivalent of about 28,000 eggs.
Inochi no Hakari
This is not a "scale" for measuring the weight of food. It is a "scale" for feeling the weight of life. When one places the food they usually eat on this scale, the stories of nature and human activities behind it are displayed through animation. Please take it in your hands and place it on the scale.
Showcase of Life
It displays the main foods consumed by people around the world and their annual consumption (number of lives/year). Compared to other omnivorous animals, humans consume an overwhelmingly large number of food ingredients, said to be in the tens of thousands. What is listed here is just a small part of that. It makes one realize that we are supported by such a variety and number of "lives."
The World's Dining Table
What is displayed here are portraits of families and their dining tables from around the world, captured in the project "Hungry Planet" by American journalist couple Peter Menzel and Faith D'Aluisio. People do not actually know much about what others around the world eat. Understanding food may provide clues to understanding the people themselves.
Cart of Life
This cart made from Nebuta contains about 10 years' worth of ingredients consumed by Japanese people. It is an exhibition that allows visitors to experience its size. Additionally, the quantity varies by country and region. The amounts of ingredients from major regions are also displayed, so please check those as well.
Life Register
When one reflects their face on the monitor, various vegetables, animals, and seafood are randomly displayed. This expresses the idea that "we are made of the lives we have received."
World Receipts
A week’s worth of family groceries expressed in a receipt style, revealing the real lives of people that cannot be understood from data and numbers.
Discover hints for new ways to eat at the "Future Floor" "Future Floor"
The future floor invites visitors on a journey to explore the joy of eating and seek hints for weaving 'life' into the next era, while incorporating the 'ways of eating' that they wish to preserve for the future from various perspectives of Japan's nurtured traditions, culture, and technology.
A sushi restaurant looking towards the future
Jiro Ono, the founder of Sukiyabashi Jiro, which represents the Edo-style sushi culture, usually only handles natural fish. However, as a special showcase of the "fusion of traditional techniques and the latest technology," he will specifically use farmed fish as the ingredients for his sushi. The combination of sushi craftsmanship and food technology, blending tradition and innovation, reveals the future of food.
Evolving Frozen Foods
A powder made by freeze-grinding various ingredients is on display. Based on this powder, it presents the possibility of future food with new value by reforming it into the shape of rice or repurposing it for cooking.
A kitchen that can remember and recreate flavors.
A future where cooking process data is shared worldwide—by expanding this system, recipes that have only been passed down orally can be inherited as cooking data across generations, aiming for a future where culinary cultures and wisdom from around the world are shared.
Sweets for a future where everyone is happy
Children aged 9 to 11 living in Japan and several other countries were invited to submit ideas themed around "sweets that make everyone happy." Approximately 34 works were selected from over 400 submissions and have been recreated by professional CG designers.
EARTH FOODS
A project that selects 25 unique foods from Japan and shares their value and wisdom with the world to illuminate the future of food on Earth. This project showcases Japan's culinary wisdom, including traditional practices such as "seaweed differentiation" and "fermentation culture," as well as items that are commonplace in Japan, like "rice flour," "pickled plums," and "sweet red bean paste," which may feel futuristic to the world. It aims to present these unique aspects in a way that contributes to a better future for food globally. Additionally, dishes created by five chefs using "EARTH FOODS" that transcend existing genres and styles are also displayed.
<参加料理人＞＞
Lionel Vega (Executive Chef of [ESqUISSE])
Santiago Fernandez (Head Chef of [MAZ])
Hidetaka Ishizaka (Culinary Development / Chef of [SEA VEGETABLE])
Mineko Kato (Pastry Chef of [FARO])
Keiko Kuwakino (Head Chef of [Satoyama Jujo])
<参加料理人＞＞
Lionel Vega (Executive Chef of [ESqUISSE])
Santiago Fernandez (Head Chef of [MAZ])
Hidetaka Ishizaka (Culinary Development / Chef of [SEA VEGETABLE])
Mineko Kato (Pastry Chef of [FARO])
Keiko Kuwakino (Head Chef of [Satoyama Jujo])
UMEBOSHI 〜BANPAKU-ZUKE〜2025→2050UMEBOSHI 〜BANPAKU-ZUKE〜2025→2050
The umeboshi "Banpaku-zuke" made here will only be opened in 2050. It is, in a sense, a "food time capsule." Who will you share your memories of 2025 with?
■ Epilogue
At the end of the pavilion, visitors gather around a massive table resembling a giant dining table. What is projected there is the joy of sharing meals and food resources of the Earth together. It also conveys the final message of 'EARTH MART' to the visitors.
What the theme business producer, Kundo Koyama, wants to convey.
Born in Kumamoto Prefecture in 1964. A broadcasting writer and screenwriter. In addition to a wide range of activities including television, radio, film, essay serialization, and lyric writing, he also serves as an advisor to many governments, localities, and companies. Born in Kumamoto Prefecture in 1964. A broadcasting writer and screenwriter. In addition to a wide range of activities including television, radio, film, essay serialization, and lyric writing, he also serves as an advisor to many governments, localities, and companies.
The theme of "weaving life" immediately brought to mind the idea of "considering life through the theme of food." What should be done now through food for the future?
The first thought that came to mind was that the Japanese phrase "itadakimasu" should be deeply understood by Japanese people, and its meaning and value should be conveyed to people around the world.
A human life lasts about 80 years. How many "lives" does one person take to protect that single life? When one feels the weight and responsibility of this, it changes their way of living and deepens their gratitude for daily meals.
At the core of this, in an era where people are hurt and various conflicts occur, it is important to be grateful for one's own existence and to consider others, striving to understand them deeply. I hope that "food" can serve as a catalyst for this.
The first thought that came to mind was that the Japanese phrase "itadakimasu" should be deeply understood by Japanese people, and its meaning and value should be conveyed to people around the world.
A human life lasts about 80 years. How many "lives" does one person take to protect that single life? When one feels the weight and responsibility of this, it changes their way of living and deepens their gratitude for daily meals.
At the core of this, in an era where people are hurt and various conflicts occur, it is important to be grateful for one's own existence and to consider others, striving to understand them deeply. I hope that "food" can serve as a catalyst for this.
Everyone involved in this "EARTH MART" projectEveryone involved in this "EARTH MART" project
Mr. Koyama, who is involved with this "EARTH MART," has come to say "Itadakimasu" with more soul than anyone else. He expresses gratitude for all lives and weaves the future of food. Please be sure to visit the pavilion "EARTH MART."
■ Overview of the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo■ Overview of the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo
Duration: 184 days from April 13, 2025 (Sunday) to October 13, 2025 (Monday)
Venue：: Osaka "Yumeshima"
Opening Hours：: 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM *Pavilion opening hours are scheduled from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM
Access：: Osaka Metro Chuo Line "Yumeshima Station" / Bus services from 10 locations in Osaka city (station shuttle bus) are also planned
<＜Types of Tickets＞
One-Day Ticket: Allows one entry at any time during the event
Weekday Ticket: Allows one entry after 11 AM on weekdays
Evening Ticket: Allows one entry after 5 PM
Full Period Pass: Allows entry every day after 11 AM from the opening day until October 3, 2025
Summer Pass: Allows entry every day after 11 AM from July 19, 2025 to August 31, 2025
Venue：: Osaka "Yumeshima"
Opening Hours：: 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM *Pavilion opening hours are scheduled from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM
Access：: Osaka Metro Chuo Line "Yumeshima Station" / Bus services from 10 locations in Osaka city (station shuttle bus) are also planned
<＜Types of Tickets＞
One-Day Ticket: Allows one entry at any time during the event
Weekday Ticket: Allows one entry after 11 AM on weekdays
Evening Ticket: Allows one entry after 5 PM
Full Period Pass: Allows entry every day after 11 AM from the opening day until October 3, 2025
Summer Pass: Allows entry every day after 11 AM from July 19, 2025 to August 31, 2025
This article was written by AI Translation.
Disclaimer: All information is accurate at time of publication.
