Photo/Illutration The Swiss pavilion at the 2025 Osaka Kansai Expo site on Oct. 14, a day after the event closed (Takuya Tanabe)

OSAKA—Organizers of the now-closed Osaka Kansai Expo plan to continue efforts in line with the event’s sustainable development goals (SDGs), but they have run into a snag.

They plan to reuse expo pavilions, but Japan’s strict regulations under the Building Standards Law prohibit the relocation of the entire structures.

So instead, the pavilions are being torn apart, and their parts and materials sold or reused.

The dismantling work started on Oct. 14, the day after the expo ended.

Around noon, a few people were lingering around Light Plaza, where the U.S., Philippines and other popular pavilions once stood. Trucks and other vehicles carrying workers came and went.

The sound of forklift engines and high-pitched metal cutting echoed through the area where the French pavilion was being dismantled.

“It’s hard to believe how crowded it was yesterday,” said Shinichi Yamaki, a 64-year-old construction worker at the site. “Many of the buildings are impressive, so it feels wasteful to tear them down, but we’ll proceed with safety in mind.”

The Swiss pavilion, made of resin membrane and resembling a series of soap bubbles, was designed with reuse and reducing carbon emissions in mind.

It was recognized as the lightest pavilion in world expo history.

According to Manuel Salchli, commissioner general of the Swiss pavilion, the plan for the structure was to apply Swiss innovation toward achieving the SDGs.

He said the resin membrane of the pavilion will be used as furnishings for embassies and consulates, and that all exhibits and furniture will be reused.

The Panasonic Group said it aims to reuse or recycle nearly 100 percent of the building materials, surveillance cameras and even fabrics from its pavilion, which was themed around “circulation.”

The reuse of pavilions has consistently been a focus of the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition as part of its commitment to “sustainable expo operations.”

The association set a goal of relocating the equivalent of 17.5 pavilions—counting partial relocations as 0.5 each—surpassing the amount from 1970 Osaka expo.

However, pavilions at the expo were classified as temporary structures under the law, putting them under stricter relocation restrictions.

To get around these rules, the Pasona group plans to relocate its own pavilion and that of the Netherlands to the company’s own premises on Awaji island in Hyogo Prefecture.

But more attention is turning to reusing materials and furnishings from the pavilions, instead of trying to move entire structures.

The demolition of most expo buildings will start on Oct. 20.

The expo association has opened a website called “Myaku Ichi!” (Myaku market!), offering items ranging from pavilion buildings to the “Myaku-Myaku” official mascot statue for auction.

“This is a project to realize the relocation and reuse of facilities, equipment and furnishings together with everyone,” the association said.

Auctions for pavilion furnishings aimed at private individuals and companies are scheduled to begin on Nov. 11.

“Creating a platform for reuse is a new challenge for the expo,” said a staff member, expressing hope that the initiative will connect to GREEN×EXPO, an international horticultural expo scheduled for 2027 in Yokohama.

(This article was compiled from reports by Shinichi Kawarada and Juntaro Oka.)

 

Related News