"Osaka World Exposition Flashback Memory" in 57th grade
The appearance of the exposition from the original experience

The pinnacle of mega-events, the International Exposition. My starting point is the 5th grade of elementary school.

It's been 37 years since I joined NOMURA Co., Ltd. Osaka, and maybe because I've lived a long time receiving encouragement from people saying, "Don't live in a daze!" I am made to feel day by day that there is.
The year after next, the 2025 Japan International Exposition (abbreviated as the Osaka-Kansai Expo) will be held again here in Osaka. It is an exposition that captures the coming era and leads to sustainable growth in chaotic Japan and the world.
As someone who has been involved in the event business for many years, and as someone who actually experienced it when I was in the fifth grade of elementary school, I have great interest in and expectations for the evolution from the 1970 Osaka Expo. This time, I will tell you about one aspect of the splendor of the "International Exposition" through my original experience.

In Japan in 1970-Reality of "Showa Retro" that shines in Reiwa

In 1970, the Beatles, who changed the world's youth culture, disbanded, and message advertisements for the Fuji Xerox commercial "From Moretsu to Beautiful" (planned by Mr. Wakao Fujioka of Dentsu) appeared on Japanese television during the period of high economic growth. It was a year that had a shocking impact on the world, and it made me realize, even as a child, that I was at a turning point in society, questioning individual lifestyles and values.

The population continued to grow steadily, and even after the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, the railway network and highways were expanded, and there was a rush to construct new buildings in the city. , New home appliances were updated in those houses, the ownership rate of cars increased, and the whole of Japan believed that "if you work hard, your life will become richer." The Japan World Exposition was held.

The mega-event, which attracted about 64.2 million visitors from Japan and overseas, was a must-see for local Osaka schools. (At the time, it was called an excursion.)
I was really surprised when I went on an excursion! ! What was unfolding at the venue on the hills of northern Osaka was a world that had only been seen on TV or in movies. And it was presented with a “shining future”.

At that time, the overseas travel rate (annual departures: less than 500,000 in 1969; currently about 20 million in 2019, or 2.5% at present; source: Immigration Services Agency, Immigration Control Statistics) was very high. Low, and 1 dollar = 360 yen! In the fixed exchange rate system, for most Japanese, foreign countries were "very far away".

1970 Osaka Expo (photographed by NOMURA Co., Ltd. employee)

The stage of "Progress and Harmony of Mankind" filled with people, people, people

As an elementary school student, as soon as I arrived at the venue, I was overwhelmed by the large, mysteriously glittering space filled with people in all directions, proclaiming "progress and harmony for mankind." Elementary school students at the time had superficial knowledge and ignorant vitality that they had learned in advance from children's magazines and comics. And then, at random, foreigners (companions, even visiting tourists!) would gossip about very suspicious languages that they had seen in children's magazines, and have them write "signatures" on the notebooks they brought. I devoted all my energies to the ``Three Sacred Treasures of the Expo (exactly the expression of the Showa era)''!

1970 Osaka Expo and Japan Expo badges (Sanyo pavilion, Canada pavilion) and commemorative medals (Soviet pavilion)

In this extraordinary space, you will be surprised to come into contact with a number of outrageous future technologies (moon rocks, mobile phones, flight simulators, mannequin-shaped 3D images, etc.), and have real communication with people from all over the world. In the Showa era, elementary school students were moved and fascinated.

As you can see from the above data, there were few elderly visitors, and 40% of the visitors were "young people/children" under the age of 22 who will lead the next generation. After that, I visited many average Japanese streets, and I visited several times with my family after that. It was 150 yen, which is a strange and unforgettable memory.

I believed in "beautiful lifestyle" + "realization of the bright future presented", and although there were two oil shocks after that, I believed in the positive realization of "progress and harmony for mankind", and "Expo-kyo" I went out to society while being tainted by.

Surprisingly, on the side of creating the longed-for exposition.

After graduating from university, he joined an apparel company, and in 1985, when the Tsukuba Science Expo was held, he moved to NOMURA Co., Ltd. The first thing that impressed me was the number of seniors who worked on the front lines of the 1970 Osaka Expo. At that time, he told me various behind-the-scenes stories about the industry, such as ``I slept right there at the festival plaza,'' or ``I got a lot of bonuses, and the bag stood up!'' I finally got a chance to work at the expo. I was excited to see if there was one.

2000 Global Village Bay Concert Site Left: NOMURA Co., Ltd., Nomura/Right: Mr. Kazuhiko Nekonishi [Manager of FM Osaka Sales Department (at that time)]

As expected, since joining the company, I have been able to create a space for permanent exhibitions, and have also been involved in a variety of event work, including the expositions that had a great influence on me when I was a child, as well as association activities that promote the event industry outside the company. rice field.
In the 1980s, the impactful run-up to today's digitalization began everywhere, and our work in the display industry evolved day by day. In addition, the economy has undergone repeated ups and downs, and the way we learn, work, and live, as well as individual lifestyles and values, have changed considerably. Recently, it is the best example of how to watch videos for Generation Z, which "emphasizes cost performance and Taipa".

Expositions reflect the times

Over the past half century, expositions themselves have changed with the times at a dizzying pace. Expo 2005 Aichi, Japan focused on nature, while Expo 2005 Osaka-Kansai Expo 2005 focused on people. You can expect a lot from us.
I would like more people to experience the “Osaka-Kansai Expo” precisely because of the differences in social conditions and values from half a century ago.
Please come to the venue and feel, think and confirm with your whole body. The Osaka-Kansai Expo 2025, which marks a turning point in society, will surely provide hints and messages for living a better future. I believe so.

The Osaka-Kansai Expo is aimed at children

Many of the dream technologies and future prospects presented in the theme of the 1970 Japan World Exposition, "Progress and Harmony for Mankind," are now commonplace in our daily lives.
[Examples of things that were born and expanded: mobile wireless phones, videophones, electric cars, electric bicycles, moving walkways, air membrane structures, fast food, family restaurants, canned coffee, etc.]

As a 21st-century exposition half a century later, what would be the wisdom of the world and the creation and dissemination of new ideas for tackling various global issues?
Japan is a developed country facing the problem of declining birthrate and aging population. In particular, my earnest wish is to realize indicators and sympathy that children, who will be the main players of the future, can think, "I wish the future would be like this."
I believe that the highest priority goal of this event is for the digital native generation of the 21st century to become “excited and have an opportunity to have dreams and hopes for the future” and cultivate “well-being”.