The Sumitomo Pavilion’s façade unveiled at a press preview as Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan opening approaches | Sumitomo Pavilion Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan

In January 2025, a press preview was held to mark the completion of the Sumitomo Pavilion’s façade. The event was attended by 54 journalists from 39 media outlets, primarily from Osaka and the Kansai region.

Sumitomo Pavilion is about a five-minute walk from Yumeshima Station on the Osaka Metro Chuo Line, which opened on January 19.

The Sumitomo Pavilion’s façade was completed in late December 2024.

At the beginning of the event, Mr. Hirofumi Saijo, Secretary-General of the Sumitomo EXPO2025 Promotion Committee, introduced the architectural design concept of the Sumitomo Pavilion, the types of woods used, and the innovative techniques employed in shaping its curves. Guided by the philosophy of “valuing each life, one tree at a time” and ensuring that no wood goes to waste, the pavilion is constructed using approximately 1,000 trees from the “Sumitomo Forest,” owned by Sumitomo Group.

Mr. Hirofumi Saijo, Secretary-General of the Sumitomo EXPO2025 Promotion Committee,
briefing media representatives in front of the Sumitomo Pavilion.

The roof of the Sumitomo Pavilion, made of Japanese cypress, features a beautiful curved design.

Collaborations with designers and artists were also showcased.

The attendant uniforms, created in collaboration with the fashion brand YOHEI OHNO—known for its concept of unique forms and practicality—were unveiled with the attendants modeling them.

Renowned leaf cutout artist Lito spoke about his collaboration with the Sumitomo Pavilion, showing his latest works.

The attendant uniforms are made using bottlium^®—a high-quality special filament fiber pellet produced through an eco-friendly recycling process from PET bottles collected via reverse vending machines installed by a Sumitomo Corporation Group company at retailers across Japan. They also incorporate fibers made from Comformer^®, a temperature-control resin developed by Sumitomo Chemical that both absorbs and dissipates heat.

Leaf cutout artist Lito. At the Sumitomo Pavilion, Lito’s leaf artwork will be exhibited on white fabric developed by Sumitomo Group.

Four new artworks created by Lito to align with the concept of the Sumitomo Pavilion.

As the Expo’s opening in April 2025 approaches, preparations for the interior and exhibition rooms are progressing. Details about the Sumitomo Pavilion’s exhibits will be released in the runup to the Expo.