Ambassadors

Kentaro KOBUCHIAs artists who started out in Osaka, we’re very happy that the 2025 Expo is to be held in Osaka and feel that it represents hope for the future. I’m proud to serve as an Expo Ambassador and determined to contribute to success of the Expo by conveying my love for Osaka and its energy through our music. Thank you.
Shunsuke KURODAI’m very honored to serve as Ambassador for the Expo to be held in my hometown, Osaka. I was born in 1977, so I didn’t get the chance to visit the 1970 Expo. But I learned from my parents and TV shows that the event was filled with dreams and hope. I’m determined to fill Osaka with excitement toward making the Expo a great success.

I was nine years old when Japan World Exposition Osaka 1970 was held. I was an elementary school student living in Kyoto City. I had memorized the names of nearly all 116 pavilions in the venue, so I was called “Dr. Expo” at school. I was lucky enough to visit the 1970 Expo several times—I learned that there were many ethnic groups in the world I knew nothing about that each had their own unique language, customs, and culture. The wonder and excitement I felt in my precious first-ever expo experience are still fresh in my mind.
Half a century later, advances in science have brought the world’s countries much closer, and the number of foreign tourists to Japan has increased dramatically. However, war and terrorism still linger all over the world, and unfortunately it seems that achieving world peace through development and progress has not been as easy as we had imagined back then.
I hope the Expo will serve as an opportunity for different countries and people to learn about one another and explore a future society that pursues true peace and prosperity. And I hope that lots of children will be like me when I was called “Dr. Expo,” visiting the Expo in excitement to find an unknown world. I’m determined to do my best as Expo Ambassador to realise this vision.

Hitoshi MATSUMOTO “I’m grateful and happy to serve as Expo Ambassador. I’ll have to do most of the work since Hamada can’t be bothered (laugh).”
Masatoshi HAMADA “I’m fully motivated!”

We are very honored to serve the important role of Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan Ambassadors. The Takarazuka Revue was involved in the 1970 Osaka Expo too: some of our directors served as producers of the opening ceremony, and our predecessors who were active at the time participated in some of the events. We will do our utmost to help bring more brilliance and excitement to the Expo like our predecessors did 55 years ago, as well as help people from all over the world learn about the amazing culture of not only Takarazuka but also Kansai and Japan as a whole.

I’m very honored to serve as Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan Ambassador and also determined to fulfill this great responsibility.
The Expo’s theme is “Designing Future Society for Our Lives.” It is said we are in an era of 100-year life, and I think the Expo will play a significant role as a platform for proposing solutions to environmental issues, declining birthrates, population aging, and other social challenges faced by Japan and the world.
Many people will visit Japan from all over the world to participate in the Expo. This will be a fantastic opportunity to attract global attention to the great features of kabuki and other Japanese traditional performing arts and culture. As Ambassador, I will do my utmost to help make the Expo a great success.

I’m very honored to serve as Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan Ambassador. I was eight years old at the time of the 1970 Osaka Expo. I remember being fascinated by the Tower of the Sun, the Moon rock, and other exhibits. I was so excited to be able to experience the future of science. I think the 1970 Expo had a big impact on my aspiration to become a scientist. I hope that the 2025 Expo will be a great inspiration to children and future generations. As Japan is currently experiencing rapid birthrate decline and population aging, achieving a healthy longevity society has become a major challenge. The Expo will be a great opportunity to present solution models to the world for “Designing Future Society for Our Lives,” which is the Expo’s theme. Personally, I hope we can show improved iPS cells to the world in 2025. I will do my best as Expo Ambassador to help make the event a great success.