The Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition has decided the members of the nickname selection committee and the judges of the first-round screening for the official character nickname selection.
In the selection process, among entries posted during the application period between April 26 and May 17, 2022, those that satisfy format requirements will go on to the first-round screening for originality, familiarity and other qualities. The entries that successfully pass the first screening, after the checking of its meaning in both Japanese and foreign languages, will proceed to the selection by the Nickname Selection Committee. The short-listed candidate entries will be checked whether or not they are registered as trademarks in Japan or overseas. Subsequently, following a discussion by the committee, the best nickname will be decided.
The best nickname will be announced around summer 2022.
List of Nickname Selection Committee members
(Honorific titles omitted, alphabetical order)
Chairperson
NAKAHATA Takashi (Copywriter, Creative director)
Selection committee members
aiko(Singer-songwriter)
HATAKEYAMA Yojiro (Director-General for Commerce and Service Industry Policy, Commerce and Service Industry Policy Group, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry)
HARA Kenya(Graphic designer)
IIDA Asako (Linguist; Professor, Chuo University; Director, Japan Naming Association)
KAKIHARA Atsuko (Executive director, General manager, Marketing Division, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd.)
OGATA Mariko (Creative director, Copywriter)
SHIMADA Tamotsu (Graphic designer)
YAMASHITA Kouhei (Leader of “mountain mountain,” Designer, Picture book author)
(Honorific titles omitted, alphabetical order)
ANDO Mari (Graphic Designer)
FUNABIKI Yuhei (Copywriter)
FURUYA Shoichi (Creative director, Copywriter)
IEDA Toshikazu（Creative director, Copywriter)
IKOMA Tatsuya (Copywriter)
KAWAHARA Ryoko（Copywriter)
KAWAKAMI Takeshi（Copywriter, Commercial Message planner)
KAWANOUE Tomoko (Copywriter)
NISHIHASHI Yuzo (Copywriter)
NISHIYAMA Tomoka (Copywriter)
MATSUO Noboru (Copywriter)
SASAO Susumu (Copywriter)
SATO Maiha (Copywriter)
SHIMOTSUURA Makoto (Creative director, Copywriter)
TANAKA Yuji（Copywriter, Creative director)
YONEMURA Takuya（Copywriter)
YAMAMOTO Shunji（Creative director)
YAMANAKA Yasushi (Copywriter, Commercial message planner)
YAMANAKA Takahiro (Copywriter)
YASUDA Kenichi (Creative director, Copywriter)
※Below are the organizations that kindly supported the Association concerning the decision of judges of the first round (Alphabetical order)
Copywriters Club Nagoya
Fukuoka Copywriters Club
Osaka Copywriters Club
Tokyo Copywriters Club
●Checking the format requirements
The office will check whether or not entries satisfy basic format requirements listed on the application manual
●First screening
Copywriters and others will screen the entries that satisfy the requirements based on the selection criteria.
●Checking language appropriateness
Regarding the entries that have successfully passed the first screening, its meaning of both Japanese and foreign languages will be checked.
●Nickname Selection Committee
The committee will decide the best nickname candidates among the entries that have successfully passed the first screening and language check.
●Trademark check
Lawyers or patent attorneys will do trademark checking both in Japan and overseas for the best nickname candidate entries. The best nickname will then be decided based on the discussion of the committee.
Official nickname application website, Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan
https://character.expo2025.or.jp/name/index.html
Public Relations Department, Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition
e-mail: media@expo2025.or.jp