Japan's major tourist event of the year, the Expo 2005 Aichi is now being held just outside of Nagoya from March 25 to September 25, 2005.
The theme of Expo 2005 is Nature's Wisdom. Over one hundred countries, local governments, corporations and organizations are participating at the expo with their pavilions, presenting ideas and technologies for a harmonious coexistence of humans with nature.
Attractions include human like robots, 3D rides, virtual reality shows, futuristic means of transportation, the latest image systems, a frozen mammoth and foods and cultural performances from around the world.
Forest Experience Zone

About half of the expo site is covered by forests with walking trails, offering a nice break from the busy pavilions. Other attractions of the forest zone are Satsuki & Mei's House, a replica of a house featured in the popular Totoro movie, and a Japanese garden
The physical site of EXPO 2005 will exist as an integral part of the domestic woodlands (satoyama) of Seto, Aichi Prefecture in Japan. The forest will be the main attraction at EXPO 2005 and the living relationships between humans and nature will be explored through various exhibits and events that focus on a renewed interest and devotion to creating sustainable lifestyles for future generations.
"This is thus the ideal place to serve as a model of interaction between humanity and the natural environment in the 21st century as expressed in the proposed theme of " Nature's Wisdom". We in Aichi intend to engage in regional development for a satoyama interaction city where people live in harmony with nature."
SUZUKI Reiji
Former Governor, Aichi Prefecture
Expo 2005 breaks from the traditional practice of throwing up temporary structures to host millions of international visitors. This is because first, the site planners want to convey the message of sustainable development to international visitors, and second, Expo 2005 is more than just the 185 days in Seto, Japan, it’s about creating wisdom networks and model communities that will continue to grow after 2005.
Multi-purpose buildings that respect the local environment will be constructed as part of a regional development plan for Aichi prefecture, host to Expo 2005. Site-planners have deemed it necessary to design and build structures which create new spaces for exhibition, experimentation, and living. As such, architects are challenged to conform to the various landscapes and micro-environments of the domesticated woodland setting where the 2005 World’s fair will be located. Construction crews will build around vegetation and animal habitats so that new space can be created as a network of pathways and stages built over top of hillsides and ravines. This is truly a landmark development.
Site pavilions will conform to the topography and there will be both "bird’s eye" and "worm’s eye" views of the surrounding terrain from specially built observation platforms and subterranean chambers. The forested and hilly environment poses a tremendous challenge to site planners and so the project has taken on the status of becoming an experimental eco-museum.
The Expo 2005 site will be a place where visitors can enjoy a unique and visually beautiful interaction between human society and nature. It will also be a center for scientists and engineers to explore new ways to develop infrastructure in the face of global environmental issues.
Expo 2005 will never resemble a parking lot crowded with tent-like buildings. Instead, site planners are working from careful and creative plans and on a respect for environmental assessment reports of the proposed area.
Why “Nature's Wisdom”?
Thanks to rapid technological development, the 20th Century was characterized by mass-production and mass-consumption, which in turn led to material improvements in our daily lives. At the same time, these trends resulted in various global issues such as desertification, global warming, and a shortage of natural resources. As these issues cannot be resolved by any one nation, the international community needs to unite in confronting them: we must come together and share our experience and wisdom, in order to create a new direction for humanity which is both sustainable and harmonious with nature.
What will you see at EXPO 2005?
Based on the ideas noted above, and as the first World Exposition to be held in the 21st century, EXPO 2005 Aichi will present the following.