<p>55 years ago, the World Expo was launched in Osaka</p>

osaka

Osaka/Prague - The World Expo Expo 70, which began 55 years ago on March 14, 1970, in the city of Suita in the Osaka prefecture of Japan, was notable for being held for the first time in the long history of world exhibitions outside of Europe and North America. The host country, Japan, showcased the results of its "economic miracle." A total of 77 countries participated in the exhibition, which was visited by over 64 million visitors by September 13, 1970, setting a visitor record that was only surpassed in 2010 by the World Expo in Shanghai, which was attended by a record 73 million people to date.

The commercial pavilions at Expo 70 overshadowed the national ones, and the entire environment evoked a science fiction film in which the visitors became participants. Japanese architects such as Kenzō Tange and the so-called Metabolists contributed to this with their architecture, as they had a unique opportunity to carry out their experiments on the edge of utopia and fantasy in the temporary environment of the exhibition. They were complemented by a plethora of technical innovations and audiovisual installations within the individual pavilions. The most famous work, the iconic Tower of the Sun by artist Tarō Okamoto, still stands at the exhibition site today.

The Czechoslovak exhibition at Expo 70 reflected the artistic relaxation of the Prague Spring. The pavilion was designed by a trio of architects from Brno - Viktor Rudiš, Vladimír Palla, and Aleš Jenček. The glass building allowed for a connection between the interior space and the exterior and received an architectural award. However, the normalizing regime did not allow its authors to travel abroad, and thus they never saw the completed pavilion. Some originally planned artworks were not allowed to be exhibited, and an assessment from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the government commission for exhibitions labeled the pavilion's leadership as "a center of anti-socialist elements" after the exhibition ended. Neither the pavilion's structure nor a model installation has survived, and the exhibits were sold throughout Japan.

The Czechoslovak pavilion was visited by a total of 10.5 million people. Artistically, Karel Malich, Stanislav Kolíbal, Stanislav Libenský, and Jaroslava Brychtová contributed to the preparations for the exhibition. The exhibition was based on sculpture, with some sculptures being allegorical. For instance, the sculpture Threat of War by Vladimír Janoušek was positioned so that the Soviet pavilion was visible through it. Stanislav Libenský created a glass river with the footprints of armored military boots within it. On the occasion of the Expo, a series of six postage stamps was created, representing Czech history, crafts, and art, designed by engraver Karel Vodák. His stamps received awards from an international jury for the best postage stamp of the World Expo.

The most recent Expo 20, held from October 2021 to March 2022, took place in Dubai and was visited by 25 million people. This year, the international semi-annual exhibition will again be held in Osaka, starting on April 13.