Australia At Osaka Expos: From The Tower Of The Sun To Chasing The Sun

19 April 2025

Australia is exhibiting at the recently opened Expo Osaka 2025, and it got me thinking about the difference between now and the last time Japan’s second city held the world’s fair in 1970.

Back 55 years ago, Japan was keen on showing to the world its miraculous recovery from the devastation wrought on it in World War II and Australia was keen on pushing itself as an advanced economy basking in glorious sunshine while surrounded by sunny beaches. Taro Okamoto‘s sculpture, The Tower of the Sun, was a symbol of the Expo and the Australian pavilion was widely praised for its architecture influenced by Katsushika Hokusai’s The Great Wave Off Kanagawa woodcut print.

This year, the design isn’t as revolutionary as its predecessor, but the thoughts behind it are, taking into account Australia’s contemporary multiethnic society with a powerful influence from indigenous Australians, which is a stark contrast to the 1970 version when the country was still strongly shaped by the White Australia Polcy. The pavilion’s name of Chasing the Sun evokes memories of the Okamoto work.

Osaka ’70 is fondly remembered in Japan as one of the major landmark events that attracted global attention for Japan, the other being the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games. World’s fairs don’t carry the same impact they once did, so it’ll be interesting to see what happens. Knowing Japan, I’d lay my money down that they’ll put on a dazzling display.