Czech Post, in collaboration with Czechia’s participation in EXPO 2025, is issuing two sheets of postage stamps commemorating the country’s presence at the prestigious world exhibition in Osaka, Japan. The first stamp is dedicated to the Czech National Pavilion and its symbols. The second was created in cooperation with the Mucha Foundation, a partner of Czechia’s participation, and pays tribute to Alfons Mucha, whose work is one of the most significant symbols of Czech culture and enjoys exceptional popularity in Japan. Both editions will be available from April 16, 2025, and will not be reprinted.
Issuing special postage stamps has been a traditional way for countries to commemorate their participation in World EXPOs since their inception. These editions become not only collector’s items but also valuable souvenirs capturing the spirit of the time and national identity. Czech Post has historically issued stamps or stamp sheets for seven world exhibitions: EXPO 1958 (Brussels), EXPO 1967 (Montreal), EXPO 1970 (Osaka), EXPO 1992 (Seville), EXPO 2010 (Shanghai), EXPO 2015 (Milan), and EXPO 2020 (Dubai). This year’s edition will be the eighth in this series.
“I am pleased that Czech Post is issuing not one, but two exclusive editions that celebrate both the Czech Pavilion and the legacy of Alfons Mucha—an artist whose work is highly valued in Japan. EXPO is not just about the future and innovation but also about the legacy we leave behind. Years from now, we will look back, and these stamps will serve as mementos of this world exhibition. Just as we now proudly refer to the success of Czechoslovakia’s participation at EXPO 1970,” says Ondřej Soška, Commissioner General of Czechia’s participation in EXPO 2025.
This year’s limited edition, designed by artist Adam Hoffmeister, is released in a restricted print run. The sheet dedicated to the Czech National Pavilion, issued in 23,000 copies, depicts the pavilion made of wooden CLT panels and glass, paying homage to Czech glassmaking traditions while symbolizing the country’s technological prowess. The stamp also features the logo of Czechia’s participation, incorporating a traditional linden leaf referencing Czech cut glass and Japanese origami, designed by the graphic studio ginger&fred. It also presents René the Exponaut, the mascot of Czechia’s EXPO 2025 participation, paying tribute to the success of the Czechoslovak Pavilion at EXPO 1970 in Osaka. The second sheet, issued in 26,000 copies, showcases Mucha’s four-part artistic poster cycle The Seasons (1896), in which he captured the transformation of nature through female figures.
Alfons Mucha is a central theme of Czechia’s presentation at EXPO 2025. The concept of the visitor experience within the Czech National Pavilion, designed by artist Rony Plesl, draws inspiration from Mucha’s artistic philosophy and specifically from his unfinished triptych The Three Ages (The Age of Love, The Age of Reason, and The Age of Wisdom). Czechia will also dedicate its National Day at EXPO to the 165th anniversary of Mucha’s birth, which will take place on July 24, 2025, offering visitors a unique showcase of Czech culture, art, and innovation.
“Issuing postage stamps for World EXPOs has become a tradition, and we are delighted to continue this legacy in 2025. We can be rightfully proud of the tradition represented by Czech postage stamps, a tradition that Alfons Mucha himself helped establish as the designer of our first postage stamps. We are connected by traditions that began over a century ago, as well as by those we continue today,” concludes Martin Holý, Head of Stamp Design at Czech Post.
About the Czech Pavilion at EXPO 2025 In December 2022, after more than twenty years, the Office of the Commissioner General announced an open, anonymous architectural competition to design the National Pavilion for EXPO 2025. Thirty-eight studios have participated, and in March 2023 a jury of experts led by the world-renowned architect Eva Jiřičná selected the winning design: a glass spiral by Apropos Architects. The main structure of the building will be made of modern wood panels, while the façade will feature art glass, which has a centuries-old tradition in Czechia. The National Pavilion, which will be located on the artificial island of Yumeshima in Osaka Bay from April to October 2025, will provide a prestigious setting for Czech participation at EXPO 2025. The pavilion will house a permanent exhibition, a multifunctional auditorium, facilities for business meetings, restaurants, a CTP lounge, and a relaxation area overlooking the sea.
About the Czech participation at EXPO 2025 This will be the sixth time that Czechia has taken part in a world exhibition as an independent state. Ondřej Soška, who won the Ministry of Foreign Affairs selection process with his concept and theme "Talent and Creativity for Life", has been serving as Commissioner General since September 2022. Czechia aims to showcase not only what the Japanese already know and admire, such as Czech glass and classical music, but above all Czech innovations, nanotechnologies, promising start-ups and talent from the regions.
