Companies

Panasonic Holdings Unveils Details about Osaka-Kansai Expo Pavilion; Company Seeks to ‘Set Senses Free’

The Yomiuri Shimbun

1:00 JST, September 21, 2024

OSAKA — Panasonic Holdings Corp. on Thursday revealed details about its pavilion for the Osaka-Kansai Expo 2025.

“The Nomo Forest” and “The Valley of Ancient Trees” are among four interactive zones that make up the pavilion, which is named “The Land of Nomo.”

The pavilion will make use of audiovisual technologies — the company’s strong suits — and offer experiences that give children the chance to become aware of the hidden potential of their senses.

Wandering into a mysterious world where the mind is laid bare — that is the concept of the story told at the pavilion. Each visitor will explore inside the pavilion using a “crystal” — a device with an electronic tag that, along with cameras inside the pavilion, records the movements of each visitor. The recording will then be analyzed, and a story that reflects the visitor’s individuality and characteristics will be shown on a large screen.

Courtesy of Panasonic Holdings Corp.
An artist’s rendering of an interactive zone in the Panasonic Group pavilion “The Land of Nomo”

“I want children to experience that moment when their feelings and senses are set free,” said Michiko Ogawa, the director in charge of EXPO Promotion at Panasonic Holdings.

The structure of the pavilion, which was completed in August, was unveiled to the media on Thursday. Further construction will add films to the ring-shaped frames around the building and put the final touches on the interior, including in the technology exhibition area. The company aims to complete the entire project in February next year.

Panasonic Holdings is planning to accept its first round of reservations — for about 16,000 visitors — from Sept. 25 to Oct. 6. The reservations will only be available to those who have purchased Super Early-bird tickets to the Expo, which can be purchased at a discount price until Oct. 6.