OSAKA – From sweeping vistas of lush, island greenery replete with tropical birds, fish and alligators in pits to a sleek, dreamlike vision of the future, Singapore’s World Expo journey has come full circle, from its first foray in Osaka, Japan, in 1970, and back there again in 2025.
The idea of Singapore as a “Little Red Dot”, its people unfazed by the nation’s size as they turn their hopes into reality, forms the core of the Republic’s pavilion at the Osaka World Expo that will kick off in less than a year, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) said on April 15.
Singapore has been a firm supporter of the World Expo, a once-in-five-year event that will be hosted by Osaka from April 13 to Oct 13, 2025.
The anticipated tourism bonanza will be held on the man-made Osaka Bay island of Yumeshima, which translates as Dream Island and is where Japan is due to open its first integrated resort in 2030.
Singapore’s pavilion, a vibrant red hue in the shape of an orb aptly named the Dream Sphere, bears the tag line, Where Dreams Take Shape. It sits on a 900 sq m plot of land, with a diameter of 18.5m, and stands 17m tall – or about seven storeys – at its highest.
Osaka Expo organisers expect 28.2 million visitors, including 3.5 million from abroad, to attend the event, which is themed Designing Future Society For Our Lives.
But the extravaganza has been plagued with bad press due to massive cost overruns, construction delays and tepid interest.
“World Expos are grand and complex endeavours,” Singapore’s Ambassador to Japan Ong Eng Chuan said at a concept-unveiling event on April 15.
“Hosts and participants alike face many challenges, including to create an excellent experience for visitors and to ensure the World Expo leaves a lasting and positive impact on the world,” he added.
Japan is hosting the World Expo for the third time, most recently in Aichi in 2005.
Osaka also hosted the jamboree in 1970, which marked the first time the World Expo was held in Asia. That was also Singapore’s first time participating, with its pavilion showcasing a tropical garden paradise.
“The 1970 Osaka Expo took place five years after Singapore’s independence, but even then, we knew we had to participate,” Mr Ong told reporters at The Garden Oriental Osaka, a European-style building that was built in 1959 and was once a state guest house that has hosted visiting dignitaries.
Now, the expo is returning to Osaka, with the event coinciding with Singapore’s celebration of 60 years of independence in 2025.
This makes it an opportune time to “convey our belief in the power of bringing together our dreams, connecting people, and thus building a better future”, Mr Ong said.
“We hope the Singapore Pavilion can stretch imaginations and give us a glimpse of what Singapore and Japan can do together in the future.”