Japan In Focus

Osaka-Kansai EXPO to feature large wooden ‘ring’

Courtesy of the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition
An artistic rendering of a wooden structure, “Ring,” to be constructed in Osaka

The Yomiuri Shimbun

10:43 JST, August 6, 2022

OSAKA — A huge ring-shaped structure will be constructed at the venue of the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo. the organizing body has announced.

The Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition revealed the artistic rendering of the “Ring” on July 13. The organizers say once completed it will be one of the largest wooden structures in the world.

The structure will be constructed in the center of the venue on Yumeshima, a man-made island in Osaka Bay. Ring will have a circumference of 2 kilometers and a height of 12 to 20 meters. Visitors will be able to walk on and under the roof structure.

The sloping roof will feature a flower garden where visitors can take a stroll and view the Seto Inland Sea and downtown Osaka City. The association said that the construction will cost ¥35 billion.

“It’s a wooden structure for a new era, while still utilizing ancient Japanese traditions,” said architect Sosuke Fujimoto, who is in charge of the structure’s design.