Half a million visitors to Poland Pavilion in Osaka!

“Over half a million visitors in just three months is an impressive result and clear proof that Poland Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai attracts people seeking emotion, reflection, and meaningful dialogue about the future – deeply rooted in our heritage. We stand out thanks to a rich program and a wide variety of accompanying events. We connect tradition with innovation, nature with modernity, and we invite visitors to co-create the exhibition. Its interactivity and authenticity ensure our story stays with people. Every day in Osaka brings new encounters and fresh stories. That’s our greatest success,” emphasizes Magdalena Skarżyńska, Vice President of the Polish Investment and Trade Agency.

“Poland’s presence at Expo 2025 in Osaka is an exceptional opportunity to show the world how innovative and responsible our companies are – from green technologies and cutting-edge medical products to digital services in the gamedev sector. Thanks to the ‘Plantation of Ideas’ zone, visitors can see for themselves that Polish enterprises combine progress with care for health and the environment. At the same time, we are strengthening Poland’s image as a country open to the future and ready for international cooperation,” says Łukasz Gwiazdowski, Vice President of the Polish Investment and Trade Agency.

Vibrant Poland Pavilion

Poland Pavilion at Expo 2025 in Osaka is a space pulsating with the rhythm of events. The permanent exhibition attracts great interest and acclaim, drawing crowds of visitors every day who eagerly share their positive impressions and recommend the pavilion to others. The exhibition area harmoniously blends with intimate Chopin recitals and a rich program of cultural, scientific, and regional events. This cohesive story about Poland – its history, innovation, art, and diversity – creates a unique atmosphere that engages, inspires, and invites visitors to return.

Among the ten official delegation visits, Poland Pavilion has had the honor of hosting distinguished guests such as Her Imperial Highness Princess Takamado and former President Lech Wałęsa. The pavilion has also welcomed numerous government delegations, including Minister of Economic Development and Technology Krzysztof Paszyk and Deputy Minister Michał Jaros, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Stefan Krajewski, Minister of Education Barbara Nowacka and Deputy Minister Maria Mrówczyńska, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Affairs Krzysztof Gawkowski, Deputy Minister of State Assets Konrad Gołota, and Deputy Ministers of Health Urszula Demkow and Marek Kos.

The most recent government delegation, led by Deputy Minister of Infrastructure Arkadiusz Marchewka, visited Poland Pavilion on July 21 as part of the celebrations of “Poland. Sea Day”.

Poland Pavilion in Osaka has also welcomed Members of the European Parliament and delegations from the Polish Sejm, including Deputy Speaker Dorota Niedziela and MP Urszula Pasławska. Among the Pavilion’s distinguished guests were also Akira Kono, Ambassador of Japan to Poland, as well as representatives from the worlds of culture, business, and local government from both Poland and Japan. Each of these visits has been a unique opportunity to strengthen ties, exchange experiences, and present Poland as an active participant in the global dialogue on the future.

Economic and cultural events

Among the most important events are also regional weeks dedicated so far to 7 out of 11 Regions – from Podlaskie to Lower Silesia – filled with Polish flavors, handicrafts, and local initiatives, as well as celebrations of Flag Day, Constitution Day on May 3rd, and Polish Kindness Day, which marked the culmination of Poland’s presidency of the EU Council, organized in cooperation with the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity and featuring Jerzy Owsiak. Additionally, there were 6 industry seminars, 8 economic missions, and the Polish-Japanese Export Forum on May 20th, which gathered over 300 entrepreneurs from both countries. One of the latest events promoting Polish business in Japan was a business conference held in the pavilion on July 18th – organized in cooperation with the Lewiatan Confederation and attended by its Founding President, Dr. Henryka Bochniarz.

In the Concert Hall of Poland Pavilion, daily Chopin recitals take place. These concerts are especially popular among visitors and evoke deep emotions among Japanese audiences. With 500 recitals performed by the most talented young pianists, this achievement is unprecedented across the entire Expo, and Polish piano virtuosos have gained an almost star-like status! Poland also organizes musical events beyond the pavilion itself, throughout the World Expo grounds and in Osaka city. The enormous interest and emotional response so far have been sparked by concerts such as those by Leszek Możdżer, the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music Orchestra, and the symphonic poem Symbiosis created by Łukasz L.U.C. Rostkowski, which was seen by over 4,500 people on Expo’s largest stage (Matsuri).

Poland promotion program

Thanks to collaboration with the Ministries of Culture and National Heritage, Science and Higher Education, Education and Science, as well as Sport and Tourism, along with 11 regional marshal offices, comprehensive and uniquely creative promotion programs have been prepared. These programs have showcased Poland to around 160 Expo participants. Regional weeks and thematic events – such as Polish Science and Education Days, Polish Culture Week, Fryderyk Chopin Week, and Sport and Tourism Week – present Poland from many diverse perspectives. A strong focus in the program is the presentation of Polish science and universities, prominently represented by students of Japanese studies in Poland, who serve as guides for the exhibition. So far, 15 university rectors have participated in the promotion of scientific events through symposia and seminars.

The overall program for promoting Poland at Expo 2025 in Osaka includes over 100 events, thematic days, and weeks – ranging from conferences and debates to workshops and research projects. These activities are carried out in cooperation with around 100 partner institutions, including the National Agency for Academic Exchange, the Polish Tourist Organization, the Polish Film Institute, the National Film Archive Audiovisual Institute, the Center for the Development of Creative Industries, as well as the National Philharmonic, the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, the Fryderyk Chopin National Institute, the Polish Music Publishing House, the Polish Academy of Sciences, Polish universities, and leading foundations in various fields. The statistics are impressive – within Poland Pavilion alone, more than 250 handicraft workshops and over 100 concerts by regional bands have taken place.

Success of the exhibition at Poland Pavilion

Poland Pavilion covers nearly 1,000 square meters and is located in the thematic zone “Saving Lives.” The concept and exhibition space of Poland Pavilion in Osaka were developed by a team consisting of Monika Brauntsch (KAFTI), Ewa Kierklo and Stanisław Kempa (GDYBY), and Wiesław Bartkowski.

Thanks to the work of the curatorial team, an extraordinary effect was achieved. It is the visitors who give the exhibition its final character. Their presence and interactions co-create the display. Contemporary art has become a means of expression used to convey the ideas behind the World Expo in Osaka.

“While working on the concept, we asked ourselves how to show the Japanese an authentic part of Polish heritage. How could they experience Polish craftsmanship or immerse themselves in the world of magic and beliefs connected with herbs? And how to link this with Chopin? This is how, in collaboration with artists, parametric herbs were created—plants frozen in time, evolving landscapes seen through the eyes of an algorithm, and a unique artisanal orchestra. All of these elements come together into a coherent story about Poland, experienced in a unique way by each visitor”, explains Monika Brauntsch.

The exhibition creators utilized technology without placing it in the foreground. Digital solutions work behind the scenes, invisible yet transforming the ordinary into something extraordinary and unique. Technology provides the magic, turning traditional materials and techniques used by artisan artists into unique and personalized experiences, powered by the presence of visitors. It is precisely the presence of the guests that brings the installations to life, making them co-creators of the exhibition.

Visitors begin their visit to Poland Pavilion at Herbarium. This part of the exhibition is dedicated to herbs. Herbs, as the central theme of the first section, symbolize the heritage and knowledge of past generations, but also point towards the future in fields such as medicine, cosmetics, and agri-tech. The Expo’s motto, “Creating Future Society for Our Lives,” perfectly resonates with the idea of herbs as a bridge between tradition and innovation.

A tour path at Poland Pavilion

The permanent exhibition is an extraordinary journey through the landscapes, culture, and spirit of Poland that engages all the senses and sparks the imagination. The carefully designed visitor pathway guides guests through spaces filled with emotion and meaning – from AI-generated landscapes in the installation “The Most Polish Landscape,” to the “Cloud” inspired by traditional folk crafts, and finally to the poetic details of “Przednówek,” which draw attention to the fleeting and subtle elements of nature.

Visitors immerse themselves in the light-and-sound contemplation of “Sound of Matter,” and then become co-creators of the concert “Aura” – the largest musical instrument at Expo, where digital technology and natural materials harmonize in a performance inspired by Chopin.

Next, the installations “Generations” and “Verses” give voice to the visitors themselves and young poets, blending individual experiences with collective creativity. The journey culminates in the outdoor “Nest” zone, offering a moment of tranquility accompanied by the music of Fryderyk Chopin.

Plantation of Ideas – a home for smart business

At the exhibition, a special place is also dedicated to promoting Polish companies and the economy. This space within Poland Pavilion is called “Plantation of Ideas”, showcasing innovative and responsible solutions and products created by Polish companies from sectors that support life and health. The presented solutions aim to help people live healthier, safer, and more peaceful lives, as well as to shape their environment in a sustainable way.

“Plantation of Ideas” tells the story of nearly 40 Polish companies creating products and services that improve quality of life across various areas. In this zone, visitors discover examples of enterprises and start-ups that are transforming the way we think about energy, resources, health, and technology. The space presents Poland as an innovative, open country, courageous enough to offer the world solutions that combine progress with responsibility. Featured here are companies from six key economic sectors—particularly important for the future and relations with Japan: agriculture and food, cosmetics, pharmaceutical and medical, IT, green technologies, and gamedev.

About Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai

The World Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai is being held on the man-made island of Yumenoshima, built on the waters of Osaka Bay. The event will last until October 13, 2025, and includes 170 participants, comprising 161 countries and regions as well as 9 international organizations.

The project managing Poland’s presence at the World Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai is overseen by the Polish Investment and Trade Agency under the supervision of the Ministry of Development and Technology.

Fot.: A. Stykowski / PAIH