The Co-Design Challenge program is a project that takes the opportunity of Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan to rethink various aspects of Japan’s life in the future and realize new things at the Expo through co-creation with various players.
By utilizing the opportunity of the Expo to develop new goods and services, we aim to solve current social issues and realize the future society that the Expo aims for.
The Co-Design Challenge program was created under the supervision of the “Expo Outcome Design Committee (hereinafter ‘EODC’)” established by the Association to examine the future society to be implemented at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan from a design perspective. For the results of the EODC examination, please refer to the EODC Report.
Designing future
Japanese lifestyles (community)
Designing the Future〇〇
Social
Issues
The Future Society That the Expo Aims For
This program has made an open call for applications twice so far.
The first call for applications (Co-Design Challenge 2023) was for product development. The second call for applications (Co-Design Challenge 2024) was for “open factory” initiatives that not only develop products but also welcome visitors to the production sites and workshops where the products are made in various regions throughout Japan, with the aim of attracting visitors to local areas.
Through these initiatives, we aim to realize the future society envisioned by the World Expo.
The Co-Design Challenge 2023 is a special program for Expo site operation participation based on the concept of “using Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan as an opportunity to create Japan’s future lifestyles (community).” It has four key characteristics: “1) Uses the Expo as an opportunity to create something new,” “2) Is a co-creation initiative,” “3) Takes a design-centered approach,” and “4) Is feasible without requiring large-scale capital investment.”
Twelve projects have been selected for Co-Design Challenge 2023 and are being developed in collaboration with advisors and related organizations, with the goal of implementing them at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan.
“Using Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan as an opportunity to create Japan’s future lifestyles (community).”
The “Co-Design Challenge 2024” is a special Expo co-creation program based on the concept of “using Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan as an opportunity to create future Japanese lifestyles (community) in various regions throughout Japan.” It has five key characteristics: “① Uses the Expo as an opportunity to create something new,” “② Being a co-creation initiative,” “③ Takes a design-centered approach,” “④ Is feasible without requiring large-scale capital investment,” and “⑤ Attracts visitors to regional areas in Japan.”
Eleven projects have been selected for the “Co-Design Challenge 2024,” and these project teams are working with advisors and related organizations to develop items and experience-based products for implementation at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan.
“Using Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan as an opportunity to create future Japanese lifestyles (community) in various regions throughout Japan.”
“Upcycling of scallop shells” with the aim to solve global waste problems through production of benches: Vol. 3
Koushi Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.
Bench made of space rocket scrap: Bringing space closer to people through upcycling: Vol. 3
&SPACE PROJECT
The lumber scrap at small factories is converted into artworks. Exquisite craftsmanship and underlying strength at small factories in Yao and Sakai, which are exuded from every point of the artworks: Vol. 3
Tomoyasu Works Co., Ltd.
“Introducing local technology to the world through TGC’s dissemination power” Bio-toilets: A breakthrough in solving the water issue: Vol. 4
W TOKYO Inc.
“A project created by all citizens of Osaka Prefecture” A retail business from Osaka “repaying the favor” to the post-expo future: Vol. 4
H2O RETAILING CORPORATION
In addition to this, he also lends his support to the Japan Institute of Design Promotion.
Representative of EODC. Director of the Expo Co-Creation Program of Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan. Director of Panoramatiks. Studied architectural design at Columbia University’s Master of Science degree in Advanced Architectural Design (MSAAD) and began working in New York in 2000. Founded Rhizomatiks Co., Ltd. (currently Abstract Engine Co., Ltd.) in 2006. Leads the in-house architecture department, "Panoramatiks," and also serves as a planning and implementation advisor to many government administrations, companies, etc. Chairperson of the jury for the GOOD DESIGN AWARD 2023.
Product Designer. Currently working on projects with domestic and overseas manufacturers ranging from electronic products to daily necessities, medical devices, and the total direction of hotels. Awards won include the iF Design Award (Germany), the Good Design Award and the Design for Asia Grand Award, Special Cultural Award, Gold Award, etc. Professor at Tama Art University.
Head of JIN KURAMOTO STUDIO. Involved in the design and development of a wide range of products from furniture, home appliances, eyewear to automobiles. Emphasizes the practical development process of repeating the trial and error of functions and structures while directly touching materials. Has received many awards, such as the iF Design Award, Good Design Award and Red Dot Design Award.
graf President, Creative Director and Designer. Active since 1993 and has since developed new areas of activity that take advantage of the environment and characteristics in which different industries gather. Aims to create designs that foster projects into programs and movements into culture. Also designs and directs as a conceptor on top of serving as the president of graf, and produces outputs that translate society from the perspective of all design domains.
She studied architecture at Waseda University and completed her studies in Sustainable City Design at the Graduate School of Ferrara in Italy, and has participated in regional planning projects in Europe, South America, Southeast Asia, and elsewhere. She helped found Re.Republic Inc., and in 2020, has been working concurrently with urban and regional research and the design studio YET/futurama. Through research, vision building, organizational development, community design, and more, she is involved in building ecosystems for sustainable local communities together with citizens, companies, government agencies, and universities.
Creative director/copywriter at POOL INC. He is involved in everything from TV commercial production to urban development and national strategy creation. He has produced many popular TV commercials, including “Iyemon,” “PlayStation,” and “Memories over things.” He also works on branding, including corporate identity, for many companies. In 2017, he came up with the idea for “Premium Friday” together with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. In 2019, he produced the “GOOD NATURE STATION” hotel in Kyoto, and “GREEN SPRINGS” in Tachikawa in 2020. He is a judge for the Good Design Award and served as creative advisor for the Japan Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai.
Artist / CEO of Yamaide Art Office Co., Ltd. / Founder of BEPPU PROJECT. After a career as an artist both in Japan and abroad, including a stay in Paris as an overseas trainee of the Agency for Cultural Affairs (2002-2004), he founded BEPPU PROJECT in 2005. Since then, he has been involved in all of the more than 1,000 initiatives that BEPPU PROJECT has planned and realized, helping to grow it into one of Japan’s leading art NPOs. In March 2022, he stepped down as CEO of BEPPU PROJECT and founded Yamaide Art Office Co., Ltd.
We want to create an opportunity to reflect on the “cycle of life” by making benches.
They will be used at the Expo site during the Expo period and in various areas in Osaka Prefecture after the Expo.
To this end, we will work together with people in the local community to produce benches using wood from Osaka and to disseminate information about the project on the project's web media.
We propose original benches that utilize branches, leaves, bark and other materials that have often been unused and discarded due to thinning in domestic forest areas.
In terms of design, we aim to create playful benches with “lives” in them, using the keywords “cell” and “dynamic.”
Using Japan's first new recycling system for waste textiles, the “Colour Recycle System,” we will upcycle waste textiles, which is a global issue, to create attractive benches to show how a more affluent and enjoyable recycling-oriented society can be achieved.
We will develop a material that minimizes environmental impact by developing “SHELLTEC” a recycled material that mixes discarded plastic with discarded scallop shells.
Using this “SHELLTEC,” we will create “SHELLMET,” a design helmet that conveys the idea of resource recycling, with the aim of expanding the circle of upcycling around the world as a new form of waste utilization.
Wooden benches made from utilizing domestic and regional timber will be displayed at the Expo site.
Through the production of wooden benches, domestic regional timber having not being fully utilized as a resource will be used.
Furthermore, through this action to bring people to rethink Japan's forest industry by learning how many forestry exist in the area they live, as well as issues facing our forest environment.
Toward a sustainable future society, we will develop a washing machine that allows users to easily wash their own bottles in order to generalize the serving of beverages in people's own bottles, such as stainless steel bottles.
By enabling users to easily wash their own bottles on the go, we aim to eliminate problems for both users and restaurants and promote a beverage serving system that generates zero waste.
We will design and expand the functionality of the Circular Bio-toilet as a symbol of sustainability, and use Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan as an opportunity to present it to the world.
We aim to raise awareness of the issue of water, which is a common issue for all human beings, and also to raise awareness of this technology that addresses that issue.
By setting up collection points for empty plastic packaging at retail stores throughout Japan, we are engaging local residents from various regions to participate in a citizen-united effort to recycle. The recycled collection will be turned into waste bins (resource recycling bins) to be installed at the Expo venue. Through this series of activities, we aim to raise awareness about waste (resource) separation and recycling not only before and during the Expo, but even after it ends.
We will make it easy to recognize the importance and necessity of resource recycling through smartphone applications.
For example, the correct disposal of used recyclable resources in smart recycling boxes and waste management within the Expo site will be implemented in some areas of the site to manage the collection of specific resources. We aim to promote behavioral changes using smartphones as a way to co-create environmental awareness with visitors.
edish is food waste material, such as food peelings, which had little use in the past, upcycled into tableware using a unique technology.
Although it does not use any plastic, it is versatile tableware that has been made water-resistant, oil-resistant, and heat-resistant using special technology, and will be used in food and beverage places at the Expo site. It will also be collected after use, composted together with the food waste generated at the Expo, and used as a soil conditioner, with the aim of being able to upcycle them a second time as vegetables and flowers.
The Yoshino region has been growing quality trees for 3 generations and 100 years.
In order to utilize the harvested trees, it is necessary to saw and dry them, and in order to dry the wood, a group of wood piled on planks will be installed in the Yoshino lumberyard as a monument. The wood dried at this monument will then be turned into furniture, such as benches, as a “symbol of sustainable tree life and its cycle” and the story will be told to many people.
