EXPO 1970 in Osaka: Marking 55 Years Since Its Grand Opening
The World Expo 1970 was inaugurated on March 14, 1970, in the city of Suita, Osaka Prefecture, Japan—exactly 55 years ago. For the first time in the long history of World Expos, it was held outside Europe and North America. As the host country, Japan proudly showcased the achievements of its economic miracle. The exhibition, which ran until September 13, 1970, featured 77 participating countries and attracted over 64 million visitors, setting a record at the time. This record was only surpassed in 2010 by EXPO in Shanghai, which remains the most attended World Expo to date, with 73 million visitors.
At EXPO 1970, commercial pavilions overshadowed the national ones, and the entire environment evoked a science fiction film, in which visitors became part of the experience. Japanese architects, such as Kenzō Tange and the so-called Metabolists, contributed to this atmosphere with their architecture, having a unique opportunity to conduct experiments on the border of utopia and fantasy within the temporary setting of the exhibition. The pavilions were complemented by numerous technological innovations and audiovisual installations. The most famous work, the iconic Tower of the Sun by artist Tarō Okamoto, still stands at the site and is a dominant feature of the Expo'70 Commemorative Park.
The Czechoslovak exhibition reflected the artistic openness of the Prague Spring. The pavilion was designed by a trio of architects from Brno – Viktor Rudiš, Vladimír Palla, and Aleš Jenček. The glass building allowed for the integration of the interior space with the outside, earning recognition for its architecture. However, due to the political climate of the normalization period, the architects were not allowed to travel, and they never saw the completed pavilion. Some of the originally planned artworks were not allowed to be exhibited, and after the event, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the government’s exhibition commission labeled the pavilion's leadership as "a center of anti-socialist elements." Neither the pavilion's structure nor the installation model has been preserved, and the exhibits were sold off throughout Japan.
The Czechoslovak pavilion was visited by a total of 10.5 million people. In terms of artistic contributions, Karel Malich, Stanislav Kolíbal, Stanislav Libenský, and Jaroslava Brychtová were involved in preparing the exhibition. The exhibition focused on sculpture and glass art, with some of the sculptures carrying hidden meanings. For instance, the sculpture The Threat of War by Vladimír Janoušek was placed in such a way that the Soviet pavilion could be seen through it. Stanislav Libenský created a glass river with the footprints of military boots in it. Japanese visitors were also captivated by René Roubíček's sculpture Cloud-Water, the Source of Life. In 2023, after more than fifty years, it was returned from a hotel in the spa town of Kirishima on Kyushu Island to Czechia.
For EXPO 1970, a series of six postage stamps were created to represent Czech history, crafts, and art, designed by engraver Karel Vodák. His stamps received international recognition from a jury as the best postal stamps of the World EXPO.
The most recent EXPO, EXPO 2020, was held in Dubai from October 2021 to March 2022 and was visited by 25 million people. This year, the international six-month exhibition will be held again in Osaka, starting on April 13, 2025.
Source: Czech News Agency, author’s adaptations