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For example, environmental pollution was once treated as a localized issue, not recognized as a national or global concern. Looking back 20 years to the Kyoto Protocol's enactment and the Expo 2005 in Aichi, public awareness of environmental issues rapidly increased, and today, environmental consciousness has become part of everyday life.

Now, how do we perceive culture? Various cultural practices, once deeply integrated into daily life and rituals, are now being treated as isolated problems, on the verge of disappearing. This issue is not confined to one country; with the progression of globalization, humanity is facing an unprecedented cultural crisis on a broad scale. Whether tangible or intangible, addressing cultural challenges as individual, specific issues is no longer sufficient. What is needed is a broader awareness among people and a transformation in behavior to preserve culture.

By 2050, we aim to look back at the present as a turning point when awareness of culture as a universal issue began to grow. Just as environmental issues are now widely recognized, we seek to make culture a subject of collective consciousness and action, ensuring its preservation for future generations.

【Reflection】
This symposium offered a multifaceted exploration into how culture can be passed on to future generations—not as a mere form or fossilized tradition, but as a living current that carries spirit, thought, and intention. Rather than enclosing culture within the walls of preservation born from fear, a shared vision emerged: one of openness and flow, where boundaries between inside and outside are porous, inviting a wider range of people into participation and encouraging the diversification of both the bearers and the contexts of tradition.

What stood out most were active gestures: raising a flag that signals intent and meaning; leaving room for play, ambiguity, and spontaneity; and creating shared spaces where people can engage side by side. In the world of traditional arts and skills, it is not enough to inherit forms or techniques. What matters is a continuous return to the deeper questions—Why has this endured? What has been cherished through its passage?—and connecting those questions to personal experience and affection. Spiritual continuity, it was noted, is not enforced through doctrine or rule, but passed on through voluntary engagement and a felt sense of belonging—through the quiet conviction that I am allowed to be here, I care about this.

A more open approach to cultural transmission must move beyond the closed, often opaque frameworks of traditional apprenticeship. It must make space for the articulation of tacit knowledge, and for networked relationships across disciplines and generations. Technologies such as AI and digital tools for visualization, alongside new methods for community architecture and consensus-building, were proposed as instruments for bringing the elusive dimension of “spirit” into shared and visible domains—making it part of the cultural commons.

From intimate communities of 150 to expansive projects spanning regions or generations, it is the act of raising meaningful flags, welcoming diverse participants, and crafting environments that allow for fluidity and creative pause that breathes life into the transmission of cultural spirit. Emotional resonance, unexpected encounters, and deep-rooted attachments—elements that often escape rational frameworks—were also acknowledged as vital forces that can sustain and propel cultural initiatives. Institutional support, the intelligent use of AI to mediate and expand communication, and platforms for cross-generational, cross-disciplinary dialogue were among the tools envisioned to nourish and carry forward this shared spirit.

In the end, the transmission of culture is not merely the handover of skills or information. It is a human practice woven through relationship and the co-discovery of meaning. To pass on both form and spirit requires cultivating spaces and cues that invite involvement, embedding culture as a rich and meaningful option within the fabric of society, and treating the very act of transmission as a process open to renewal and reinvention.


【Post EXPO Initiatives】
To ensure the continuity of this dialogue and translate it into actionable projects, we will continue to hold meetings with a fluid and evolving circle of participants. The first session welcomed Takahiro Shiramizu, founder of Unagi no Nedoko, and focused on the following key initiatives:

1. Building a Cultural Co-Creation Ecosystem Centered on a “Grand Requiem for the Vanishing”
Traditional Japanese craftsmanship, once sustained by a symbiotic relationship with nature, has lost its cyclical vitality in the wake of modernization, resulting in isolated and declining industries. Rather than simply protecting these individual cultures or crafts, this initiative proposes an overarching ecosystem anchored by the evocative theme of a “Grand Requiem for the Vanishing.” This ecosystem aims to reweave connections across diverse cultural and industrial domains.
Such a framework could take shape as revivals of ancient festivals, journeys retracing regional roots, or reinterpretations of lost techniques. At the heart of this vision lies a compelling and unifying goal—a “Great Intention” capable of rallying people beyond the boundaries of religion or tradition. One example is the revitalization of the Kyoto Imperial Palace (Gosho Okoshi) as a cultural hub, inviting new collaborations and economic value creation. Another is exploring large-scale narratives, such as the “Reconstruction of Edo Castle,” to inspire public imagination and attract long-term patrons.
Rather than focusing on specific crafts or schools of technique, the theme remains intentionally open and playful—drawing inspiration from projects like the Pokémon and Craft exhibition, which invited joyful participation across generations. In this way, a lasting community emerges organically through shared curiosity and affection.

2. Cultivating Communities through the Cycle of Hare and Ke
The sustainability of the ecosystem depends on a deliberate circulation between hare (extraordinary moments of celebration) and ke (everyday life rooted in local relationships and creative practice). The process begins with the staging of compelling public events (hare) to spark connection, leading to the formation of communities that continue engaging in place-based, everyday cultural creation (ke).
This cycle—moving between peak experiences and daily rhythms—has the potential to draw in visitors, learners, and collaborators from near and far. It lays the groundwork for building momentum through community-led investments and collective narratives. From there, a roadmap can be developed to guide capital investment in infrastructure and future programming.
Initial projects will be launched on a small, tangible scale, carefully selecting sites and communities that align with the spirit of the initiative. The next meeting will invite individuals who could serve as organizers or hubs connecting multiple communities, and will delve deeper into possible concrete projects. Alongside new initiatives, there is also potential to participate in existing festivals or events under the shared theme of “requiem,” further expanding the network.

3. Archiving and Creating New Value through Digital Technology
To transmit endangered cultural traditions to future generations, the project will actively explore digital archiving. Movement-based practices such as dance or craft-making can be documented and transformed into public learning resources by contributing to foundational AI training datasets. Even cultures at risk of disappearance could one day be learned from through AI, enabling the transmission of knowledge across time.
High-quality digital archives may also serve as creative assets for fields such as animation or CG film production, opening up new channels of income and relevance for traditional practices in contemporary media. In this way, the preservation of intangible heritage becomes not only an act of remembrance but a seedbed for new stories and shared futures.