At Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan, I was commissioned by the Ireland Pavilion to photograph Ireland’s National Day celebrations.
Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan
An international event that brings together countries from around the world to showcase their cultures, technologies, and ideas for addressing global challenges. With education as one of its primary purposes, a World Expo provides a platform for presenting human progress and visions for the future. Its origins are generally traced back to the Great Exhibition held in London in 1851, and since then, World Expos have played an important role in showcasing advances in technology and culture while promoting international exchange.
In Japan, the Japan World Exposition was held in 1970 under the theme “Progress and Harmony for Mankind,” bringing together 77 countries and four international organizations.
At Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, 158 countries and regions and nine international organizations participated under the theme “Designing Future Society for Our Lives,” more than doubling the scale of international participation compared with the 1970 Expo. The Expo aimed to contribute to achieving the SDGs and to advance the realization of Society 5.0, a key national strategy for Japan.
・Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan
https://www.expo2025.or.jp/
Ireland Pavilion
Ireland’s pavilion, themed “Creativity Connects People,” expresses the intersection of tradition and the future, as well as cultural co-creation between Ireland and Japan. Its architecture consists of three circular structures inspired by the triskelion, an ancient Celtic symbol, and features immersive experiences incorporating music, dance, and art. Outside the pavilion stands *Magnus Rinn*, a sculpture by Joseph Walsh that symbolizes the cyclical connections between nature, people, and time.
・Ireland at Expo 2025
https://www.ireland.ie/en/expo/
*Click here to view my other projects related to Ireland.*
https://ropeth.com/tag/ireland/
Photography Process
On the day of the shoot, Ireland celebrated its National Day. On National Days, participating countries welcome distinguished guests and visitors from Japan and abroad, offering traditional dance and music, cuisine, games, and other cultural experiences. It is a special occasion for visitors to discover the unique culture and character of each country.
During the shoot, I photographed a variety of National Day activities, including events inside the pavilion, the parade, the official ceremony, and stage performances, while also capturing visitors enjoying the celebrations.
Ireland Pavilion
Official Ceremony
MYAKU-MYAKU & Una-chan
National Day Parade
Music & Dance
After-Party
For this project, most of the communication was conducted in English, making it a significant challenge for me personally. It was a great honor to contribute to such a prestigious national project and to document these moments through photography. My sincere thanks to the Ireland Pavilion for entrusting me with this opportunity.
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An editor, writer, and photographer based in the Kansai region. After graduating from university, I worked as an elementary school teacher, cram school instructor, and childcare professional. In 2019, I joined hyphen LLC, where I worked at coworking space mocco Himeji and helped launch coworking space mocco Kakogawa, serving as a community manager. I later worked as an editor, interviewer, writer, and photographer for *Maruhari*, a local information magazine covering the Harima region of Hyogo Prefecture, before becoming independent. Since March 2024, I have served as a community manager at GRANDSLAM, a coworking space in Fukushima, Osaka.
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