Japan Journal #1: VIBAe at Osaka World Expo 2025

Osaka’s Moment

This Expo marks Osaka’s return to the world stage, hosting a World Expo again after 55 years. From April 13 to October 13, 2025, this vibrant showcase of innovation explores the theme: “Designing Future Society for Our Lives.”
How can we maximize human potential while building sustainable futures? And what better place to explore that question than Japan?

Yumeshima has been transformed into a global village where visitors can experience everything from flying cars to meditative forests. Each pavilion offers a unique perspective on how technology, design, and human ingenuity might shape our shared tomorrow.

The Nordic Pavilion

The Nordic Pavilion stands as a testament to Scandinavian excellence in design and sustainability. Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland have joined forces in this collaborative space, strengthening our ties with Japan and Japanese businesses.

The pavilion itself is a breathtaking wooden structure, rising 17 meters high across 1,200 square meters, designed by Rimond Architects of Italy. Its timeless aesthetic perfectly captures the sustainable mindset we share across the Nordic region.

Inside, visitors will find a joint Nordic exhibition showcasing the best of our countries, a shop featuring curated Nordic products (Go Muumin go!) and a rooftop terrace café offering traditional Nordic food. The entire space feels both distinctly Nordic and perfectly at home in Japan – a cultural bridge built through thoughtful design.

VIBAe’s Presence

VIBAe is immensely proud to equip the Nordic Pavilion staff with our signature handmade footwear. Our minimalist, unisex designs—manufactured in Portugal—have proven to be the perfect choice for the guides who spend long days walking and standing while directing the constant flow of visitors. The practical application couldn’t be better—comfortable, stylish footwear that allows the staff to focus on creating meaningful experiences for visitors rather than worrying about tired feet!

A Personal Tour with Dallas

One of the highlights of our visit was meeting our Japanese distributor, Dallas. He first came to Japan for the previous Osaka Expo in 1970 and fell so deeply in love with the country that he never left! His story deserves its own journal entry (coming soon), but his knowledge and passion for Japan made him the perfect guide throughout our experience. We posted several photo's of the handsome and energetic 71 yo chap on our Instagram, since we're so grateful for him! @vibaeofficial

Architectural Marvel: The Grand Ring

While the Nordic Pavilion was our home base, we were particularly struck by The Grand Ring—the symbolic centerpiece of Expo 2025. This architectural wonder perfectly expresses the Expo’s concept of “Unity in Diversity,” blending modern construction methods with traditional Japanese Nuki joints typically found in ancient shrines and temples.

The Grand Ring serves as the main circulation route throughout the Expo site, offering not just efficient movement but also shelter from the elements.

TOP TIP for future visitors: Stay until evening falls. The transformation of The Grand Ring—and the entire Expo site—under nighttime illumination creates an entirely different and truly magical experience.

Looking Forward

This is just the beginning of our Japan journey. There are many more stories to tell, connections to explore, and inspirations to document. Japan has been overwhelming in the best possible way—a sensory and intellectual feast that will take a few more days to fully process.

Answering "How was Japan?" is proving to be harder than we expected, but we can say this with certainty: we already miss the TOTO toilets!

Seriously—how does one even live without a heated toilet seat? Or the built-in bidet? We've been spoiled, and now every other bathroom experience feels... disappointingly primitive.

Stay tuned for the next entry in this journal series!