The Netherlands’ consul-general in Osaka, Marc Kuipers, wasn’t particularly excited about Expo 2025 Osaka at first. That changed when he visited Expo in Dubai two years ago. ‘I had always thought of World Expos as something old-fashioned,’ said Mr Kuipers on a phone call from Osaka. ‘But in Dubai I saw pavilions that were architectural wonders, integrating fantastic, innovative opportunities and ideas.’ Ask him today about Expo 2025 Osaka and the Netherlands’ participation in it, and he has plenty of enthusiastic news to share.

A special history

From 13 April to 13 October 2025, 160 countries will take part in Expo 2025 Osaka. The fact that the Netherlands has its own pavilion was not a given, as Mr Kuipers explains. ‘The cabinet had to approve it, since it's a huge investment. But various calculations have shown that we'll ultimately recoup what we spend, in the form of new economic opportunities. Apart from the question of cost, I believe the Netherlands belongs here in Osaka. We're a small country but we have a lot of innovative power. And we have a special history with Japan.’

 

 

For nearly 250 years in the 17th and 18th centuries, the Netherlands was the only Western country that Japan was willing to trade with. The Dutch had an advantage over the Portuguese, who tried to combine trade with Catholic missionary work – something the Japanese firmly rejected. From the 16th century on, the Netherlands also had both an extensive trading network in Southeast Asia and expertise in shipbuilding, navigation and cartography.

Shinto ceremony

The theme ‘Common Ground’ is the basis for the design of the Netherlands pavilion. Marc Kuipers: ‘We're underlining the fact that global challenges such as climate change, pandemics, demographic ageing and food security cannot be solved by any country on its own. That's why our motto is “Solving global challenges together”.’

The completion of the uppermost section of the pavilion in August was an occasion for the Japanese construction workers and staff from the embassy to hold a Shinto topping-out ceremony, during which a celebratory tree was lifted to the peak of the pavilion, a Dutch tradition.

‘It was a nice blend of Japanese spirituality and Dutch elements,’ said Mr Kuipers. ‘During the ceremony we gave thanks for the safe and successful construction process.’ Mr Kuipers hopes the pavilion can be repurposed somewhere in Japan after Expo ends. ‘The Netherlands is skilled at circular construction and the reuse of building materials. This is a relatively new concept in Japan, so it would be great if we could promote circular construction here during Expo 2025 Osaka.’

Platform for innovation and contact

Around 28 million people are expected to visit Expo 2025 Osaka, not only tourists but also entrepreneurs, politicians, scholars and scientists from many disciplines. Preparatory missions organised by both countries – the Lead-up to Expo programme – will be exploring potential opportunities around the event in the months leading up to its start.

Marc Kuipers: ‘Around 150 Dutch businesses are active in Japan, and around 700 Japanese firms have operations in the Netherlands. Our two countries have built up strong networks over the years around issues such as the energy, digital and food transitions, and in the life sciences and health sector.’

Collaborations on hydrogen, off-shore wind power, regenerative medicine and semiconductors are a few topics that will feature at events organised during Expo 2025 Osaka. For Dutch businesses, this is an opportunity to present innovative products and services to a global audience. ‘There is an extensive programme of events planned, and there will also be missions to other sites in the Kansai region and in Tokyo,’ said Mr Kuipers. ‘This is an ideal opportunity for Dutch and Japanese businesses to acquire knowledge and build networks.

Care and attention

For months, the Dutch embassy in Tokyo, the consulate-general in Osaka and the project team in The Hague have focused almost exclusively on Expo 2025 Osaka. Extensive preparation has gone into planning and building the pavilion and developing the programme. Mr Kuipers explains that this works differently in Japan than in the Netherlands.

‘We do things very informally in the Netherlands. Our agreements set out only the main points and things develop organically from there. We do business the same way. Here in Japan, everything down to the smallest detail is worked out beforehand. This isn’t always easy for Dutch people, and it also means a lot of paperwork. But I have to say that I’ve come to appreciate this Japanese attention to detail. After such careful preparation, the actual construction of the pavilion can be completed in no time!’

For Mr Kuipers, the measure of the Netherlands’ success at Expo 2025 Osaka will be our ability to inspire visitors. ‘I've spoken to people who visited Expo in Osaka in 1970, when they were young. Some had tears in their eyes as they described the things they saw and did all those years ago. I hope today’s young generation will be inspired by the ideas and innovations that Netherlands has conceived together with other countries.’