【First Round of Publication of Displays】Hello Kitty to Appear in the Japanese Government Pavilion!

Hello Kitty to be showcased dressed as 32 types of “algae,” a key in addressing social challenges

At Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) will exhibit the Japanese Government Pavilion (or Japan Pavilion for short) based on the theme of “Between Lives.” In the entirety of the Japan Pavilion, which will consist of the three areas of the Plant Area, Farm Area, and Factory Area, circulation, an idea underlying Japanese culture, will be created. The first of these areas to have their displays open to the public is the Farm Area, whose star will be “algae.” Usually, people have limited awareness of algae. However, they are currently attracting attention as an existence with the potential to resolve a number of challenges, such as overdependence on finite fossil resources and food shortages.
Appearing in the Farm Area is an algae version of Hello Kitty! This globally popular character will don 32 different algae-based disguises to communicate the appeal of algae and their infinite potential in an adorable manner.

Round, Triangular and Four-Leaf Clover Shapes Included! 32 forms of Hello Kitty dressed as various shapes of algae will make their appearance at the Japan Pavilion

From closterium and diatom that appear in science class to wakame and hijiki seaweed that are commonly found on Japanese dinner tables, a diverse array of algae exist. Moreover, algae that can only be seen with a microscope actually exist in a variety of attractive forms, such as triangles, squares, dodecahedrons and shapes resembling four-leaf clovers.
This fusion of the cuteness of the globally-loved Hello Kitty and adorable forms of algae will help visitors discover a world of algae that they did not pick up on until now.

The unlimited potential of algae as introduced by Hello Kitty

In order to build a sustainable and prosperous society, it is necessary to break from overdependence on finite fossil resources. Algae, which efficiently store solar energy through the process known as photosynthesis to produce diverse organisms, are attracting attention as a key for reducing this dependence . Algae can be used as is in foods and feed. Moreover, the raw materials extracted from them can be applied to a myriad of fields that include pharmaceuticals, fuels, plastics and textiles. Furthermore, algae can be cultivated with sunlight and small amounts of water even on land that is difficult to farm on such as desert and wasteland, and their properties give them overwhelming high material production efficiency relative to terrestrial plants. Through Hello Kitty, the Japan Pavilion will supply opportunities to learn about these wide-ranging possibilities of algae in an enjoyable fashion.

With Hello Kitty appearing as different types of algae, under the sponsorship of Sanrio Company, Ltd., original character designs are being developed and showcased at the Japan Pavilion.

Sponsor:
Sanrio Company, Ltd.
Address of main office: 1-11-1, Osaki, Shinagawa Ward, Tokyo; Zip code: 141-8603
Founded: August 1960
President: Tsuji Tomokuni
Company profile: https://corporate.sanrio.co.jp/corporate/overview/

Photobioreactor, a System for Cultivating Algae, to Provide Visitors With a Soothing and Relaxing Forest Bathing-Like Experience

A system that cultivates algae and other living organisms that conduct photosynthesis, a photobioreactor can make efficient use of light energy to nurture algae with small amounts of water.
At the Japan Pavilion, a photobioreactor that cultivates spirulina, a specie of the blue-green algae group, will be spatially placed to present the possibilities of an “organism production plant” using algae, as well as to provide visitors with a soothing and relaxing forest bathing-like experience in which they walk through a fantastic, energetic space woven by the photobioreactor as it combines strong but gentle light like that of the sun and repeatedly overlapping algae.
METI is exhibiting algae, together with a photobioreactor, in the Farm Area in cooperation with Chitose Laboratory Corporation, a company that proudly owns breeding and cultivation technology for a wide variety of living organisms.

-The Farm Area: Circulation from “water” to “materials”

The star of this particular area is algae, which connect substances to bring forth life.
After water created from breaking down waste and inorganic materials such as carbon dioxide are taken in, algae will be nurtured in the Japan Pavilion using the likes of light energy as resources. The power of algae with their infinite potential combined with Japan’s notable carbon recycling technology will result in the creation of materials for manufacturing.
In the Farm Area, alongside the diversity of algae introduced by Hello Kitty and a “photobioreactor” that actually cultivates algae, technologies that bring forth materials such as biofuels, plastics, cosmetics and foods using carbon dioxide as a raw material will be featured. Visitors can familiarize themselves with the power of algae and microorganisms that will serve as a key to realizing carbon neutrality and other facets of a sustainable society.

Cooperating company:
Chitose Laboratory Corporation (CHITOSE Group)
Address of main office: KSP R&D C432, 3-2-1, Sakado, Takatsu Ward, Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture; Zip code: 213-0012
Founded: November 2002
Chief Executive Officer: Fujita Tomohiro
Company overview: https://chitose-bio.com/about/