In Osaka, the World Expo 2025 begins, Minister Lipavský opened the Czech pavilion

Osaka – At the World Expo 2025 in Japan's Osaka, today Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský and the General Commissioner for Expo Ondřej Soška opened the Czech national pavilion. The exhibition, which was ceremonially inaugurated on Saturday, opened its doors to the general public today and will last until October 13. About 160 countries and regions will be showcased at the exhibition site on the artificial island of Yumeshima, reports the AFP agency.

Osaka has chosen the theme of the societies of the future, focusing on artificial intelligence and space. "EXPO is about sharing stories of mutual inspiration. In our beautiful national pavilion, we want to share these stories and create new ones – through art, commerce, and personal contacts," Lipavský stated on the social network X. "The Czech pavilion tells amazing stories that connect the Czech and Japanese nations. These stories range from the modern interpretation of the talent of Alfonse Mucha to Czech glass – the flagship of Czech craftsmanship," said Lipavský at the opening of the Czech pavilion, according to a press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Czech Republic built the national pavilion based on the design by Apropos Architects. The transparent building with a glass spiral sensitively references, according to the organizers' press release, the Czech pavilion in Japan from 1970. "Visitors to the pavilion walk along a 260-meter-long path that winds around the object and gradually rises through four floors until emerging on the observation roof. This dynamic movement symbolizes not only the passage of time and individual development but also personal and social growth," the statement reads.

During the expo in Osaka, performances will be held by the Czech Philharmonic, Cirk La Putyka, and the Alfa Theatre from Plzeň, among others. One of the highlights of the program is to be the national day on July 24, the birthday of the beloved Japanese painter Alfonse Mucha in 1860.

The World Expo takes place every five years in various locations around the world. Expo returns to Osaka for the second time. The first world expo held there was in 1970, where visitors could witness the world premiere of an IMAX film or admire stones brought from the Moon.