Japan Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai

An exhibition space with the theme of "Encountering Ideas" that showcases a variety of Japanese content in a next-generation display

  • Event Spaces
  • The façade design combines arabesque and Japanese hemp leaf patterns. A three-dimensional lattice that represents origami and a thin membrane that resembles washi paper act as a sunshade and encase the building.

    The façade design combines arabesque and Japanese hemp leaf patterns. A three-dimensional lattice that represents origami and a thin membrane that resembles washi paper act as a sunshade and encase the building.

  • "Scene 1: Encounter with Japan" By projecting Video onto extremely fine mist, a fantastical and immersive Video and space is created, drawing you into the story.

    "Scene 1: Encounter with Japan" By projecting Video onto extremely fine mist, a fantastical and immersive Video and space is created, drawing you into the story.

  • Scene 2: Culture as a History of Encounters Looking back at the history of Japan, which has accepted foreign wisdom and technology while achieving its own unique development without ever pandering to them

    Scene 2: Culture as a History of Encounters Looking back at the history of Japan, which has accepted foreign wisdom and technology while achieving its own unique development without ever pandering to them

  • "Scene 3: Modern Japanese Technology" - Exhibiting elaborate models of everyday items that represent various solutions that contribute to the world from a Japanese perspective

    "Scene 3: Modern Japanese Technology" - Exhibiting elaborate models of everyday items that represent various solutions that contribute to the world from a Japanese perspective

  • An audio AR system that rents out a dedicated smartphone and plays exhibit explanations and sounds based on location information.

    An audio AR system that rents out a dedicated smartphone and plays exhibit explanations and sounds based on location information.

  • "Scene 4: Our Present and Challenges" In an infinite reflection space using mirrors, participants can look at themselves and the global issues that need to be resolved, and take them as their own concerns.

    "Scene 4: Our Present and Challenges" In an infinite reflection space using mirrors, participants can look at themselves and the global issues that need to be resolved, and take them as their own concerns.

  • "Scene 5: Encounter of Ideas" Graphic art created from behavioral history information obtained through the AR system is projected onto a 360-degree screen in the theater.

    "Scene 5: Encounter of Ideas" Graphic art created from behavioral history information obtained through the AR system is projected onto a 360-degree screen in the theater.

  • "Scene 6: Designing a Future Society for Life" introduces the 2025 Osaka Kansai Expo. Visitors can leave messages on their smartphones about the social issues they have encountered and their ideas for solving them, and connect their ideas to the next Expo.

    "Scene 6: Designing a Future Society for Life" introduces the 2025 Osaka Kansai Expo. Visitors can leave messages on their smartphones about the social issues they have encountered and their ideas for solving them, and connect their ideas to the next Expo.

  • At the Dubai World Expo 2020, the Pavilion Prize Awards ceremony hosted by the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) was held, and the Japan Pavilion, in which our company was involved, won the Gold Award in the Large Pavilion Category Exhibition Division. The Japan Pavilion was recognized as the most highly acclaimed pavilion at the Expo. Left: Tanseisha Chairman Takahashi Takashi Right: Japanese Government Representative Nakamura Tomiyasu

    At the Dubai World Expo 2020, the Pavilion Prize Awards ceremony hosted by the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) was held, and the Japan Pavilion, in which our company was involved, won the Gold Award in the Large Pavilion Category Exhibition Division. The Japan Pavilion was recognized as the most highly acclaimed pavilion at the Expo. Left: Tanseisha Chairman Takahashi Takashi Right: Japanese Government Representative Nakamura Tomiyasu

  • Japan Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai
  • "Scene 1: Encounter with Japan" By projecting Video onto extremely fine mist, a fantastical and immersive Video and space is created, drawing you into the story.
  • Scene 2: Culture as a History of Encounters Looking back at the history of Japan, which has accepted foreign wisdom and technology while achieving its own unique development without ever pandering to them
  • "Scene 3: Modern Japanese Technology" - Exhibiting elaborate models of everyday items that represent various solutions that contribute to the world from a Japanese perspective
  • An audio AR system that rents out a dedicated smartphone and plays exhibit explanations and sounds based on location information.
  • "Scene 4: Our Present and Challenges" In an infinite reflection space using mirrors, participants can look at themselves and the global issues that need to be resolved, and take them as their own concerns.
  • "Scene 5: Encounter of Ideas" Graphic art created from behavioral history information obtained through the AR system is projected onto a 360-degree screen in the theater.
  • "Scene 6: Designing a Future Society for Life" introduces the 2025 Osaka Kansai Expo. Visitors can leave messages on their smartphones about the social issues they have encountered and their ideas for solving them, and connect their ideas to the next Expo.
  • At the Dubai World Expo 2020, the Pavilion Prize Awards ceremony hosted by the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) was held, and the Japan Pavilion, in which our company was involved, won the Gold Award in the Large Pavilion Category Exhibition Division. The Japan Pavilion was recognized as the most highly acclaimed pavilion at the Expo. Left: Tanseisha Chairman Takahashi Takashi Right: Japanese Government Representative Nakamura Tomiyasu

Photo by Jon Wallis Photography

About the Project

Overview The Dubai Expo was held under the main theme of "Connecting Hearts and Minds, Creating the Future." The Japan Pavilion is themed on "Encountering Ideas," and is structured as an exhibition space showcasing a variety of Japanese content using the latest technology. As visitors progress through each zone, they will experience how "valuing diverse encounters leads to the birth of new ideas, exchanges, and changes to a better future," and create actions that will lead to the Osaka-Kansai Expo to be held in Japan in 2025. It is mainly made up of six scenes, each with its own theme, and is a space for exhibitions, experiences, and Spatial Production.
Issues/Themes Based on the fact that Japan has valued encounters since ancient times, and has generated new ideas by absorbing wisdom and culture from the outside world, and sublimated them into unique values, the construction of the exhibitions will express the vision that "Japan will become a hub for encounters of ideas with a global perspective for the future, and by fusing them, will generate actions for a better Display Construction." In addition, the exhibitions will be maintained and managed so that visitors can experience them smoothly for the six months during the Expo.
Space Solution/Realization After extensive discussions with Japan's top creators in various fields, we established an exhibition experience unlike any other in the world by incorporating an audio AR system that utilizes location information and new Video Production techniques. Along with a fantastical immersive experience, the system digitizes the actions of visitors, and the climax scene is formed based on the data of the visitors gathered at that time on that day, creating an experience that matches the theme. We also verified whether the complex system would operate correctly, and conducted multiple pre-verification tests to recreate the exhibition planned in Japan using materials procured locally.

Basic Information

Client Host ministry: Trade and Industry Co-host ministries: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries; and Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Participating organizations: Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO)
Services Provided Total Produce: DENTSU INC.
Architectural Design: Yuko Nagayama Architectural Design Ltd. and NTT Facilities, Inc.
Display Construction, Spatial Production management, maintenance management: Japan Pavilion, Dubai World Expo 2020 Exhibition Production Consortium (Murayama/Tanseisha)
Our Team Performance Direction: Mayuko Sakata, Ryotaro Ishibashi
Technical Direction: Isamu Kobayashi
Production, Construction: Yusuke Yamanaka, Yuji Hasegawa
Project Management: Keiichi Hasegawa, Yusuke Nino, Ryotaro Ishibashi
Awards Gold Award in the Large Pavilion Exhibition Category, sponsored by the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE)
Location Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Open October 1, 2021
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*The shared information and details of the project is accurate as of the date they were posted. There may have been unannounced changes at a later date.