The Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition (hereinafter referred to as “the Association”) is pleased to announce the members of the judging committee who oversaw the evaluation of the first and second round of applications for events organised by the general public at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan (hereinafter referred to as “the Expo.”)
The judging committee selected many wonderful projects that livened up the Expo site. The judging committee members, who all worked hard to select the projects, have shared their thoughts on the process.
About Events Organised by the General Public
＜Application Period＞
1st Round: 15 September 2023 – 31 December 2023
2nd Round: 31 May 2024 – 30 June 2025
＜Number of Applicants and Offers＞
| No. of applicants | No. of offers | ||
| Total | 1,432 | 441 | |
| （内訳） | 1st Round | 514 | 149 |
| 2nd Round | 918 | 292 | |
Comments from the Judging Committee Members (Alphabetical Order)
akane (Choreographer/Producer)
（Comment）
I am truly grateful for the opportunity to be a member of the judging committee and to be exposed to such a wide variety of plans and ideas. Every presentation was filled with sincerity and ingenuity, and I sensed great potential for the future. Judging was difficult but I felt a deep respect for the enthusiasm and dedication of all the participants. I am truly honoured to have been able to be a part of this event.
GUNJI Sayumi (Fashion and Creative Director)
（Comment）
When judging, the thing I placed the most importance on was creating an Expo that will be memorable for both visitors and performers. When I visited the Expo, I came across an openair concert by one of the universities that we had selected. I saw a group of university students dancing with huge smiles on their faces. The sight of the audience joining in and everyone having a great time is burned into my mind. The Expo was an event where people from all over the world were both visitors and performers. I feel proud that I was able to contribute to that even in a small way.
NISHIYAMA Masaru (FM OSAKA Broadcasting Co.,Ltd. President and CEO)
（Comment）
I was worried about whether I could do the job, but I managed to do it successfully. I believe that events, or festivals, are a part of culture that everyone has the right to enjoy. We received many applications for events organised by the public. The Expo had some and restrictions, so there were things that could and could not be done. However, I am really pleased that so many events were able to be realized despite this. I would like to say this to young people and children in particular: Build on the surprise and excitement you experienced at the Expo and continue to take on new challenges. And, like me, I hope you will look forward to another Expo. Thank you very much.
YAMAMOTO Yohei (APPARE INC. Representative Director)
（Comment）
I am extremely honoured to have served as one of the judges. During the evaluation process, I viewed the Expo as an opportunity for new cultural evolution through the intermingling and absorbing of different cultures. I placed importance on whether the applicants had a pioneering attitude that evoked new hope, and whether it had the potential to lead to further actions. As a result, I visited the Expo site many times and was deeply impressed by the new initiatives and lively exchanges that were born through the events. I hope that this initiative will lead to even greater cultural leaps in the future.
YAMANAKA Tetsuo (TOITOMA Inc. President and CEO)
（Comment）
The submitted plans truly embodied the theme of the Expo and were filled with diverse ideas and passion. The judging panel placed particular importance on originality in creating “future society for our lives”, and whether visitors could participate in dialogue and co-creation. This cross-genre initiative, which encompasses everything from local traditions to cutting-edge technology, will go beyond a simple event and provide an opportunity to think about future society as something that concerns everyone. We hope that the Expo will serve as a catalyst for spreading creativity.
(Event Bureau)