WORLD EXPO 2005 Aichi, Japan

EXPO 2005 Message

The 20th century saw the formation of a new global society. The remarkable progress made in science and technology, the development of high-speed methods of transportation, and the evolution of information and communications technologies have all accelerated the global interchange of people, goods, and information to an unbelievable extent. The world has been truly transformed.

Human beings' seemingly insatiable desire for expansion, the source of this transformation, continues unabated. This has placed a tremendous burden on the natural environment, exceeding its capacity for self-recovery. The result is that we must now deal with a number of potential world crises.

The time has come for the people who make up the global society of the 21st century to work together in the pursuit of a sustainable and harmonious coexistence for all life on Earth. Paramount to this is a global perspective.

EXPO 2005 Aichi, Japan, is the perspective we need.

The inspiration for EXPO 2005 is the marvelous mechanism of nature and the power of life. Learning from the world's vast collection of wisdom and methods of interaction with nature found around the globe, we hope to bring the world together for the creation of a global society allowing the multitude of cultures and civilizations to coexist together.

EXPO 2005 will be a focal point, acting as the loom for a wonderful creation. The theme of the EXPO-Nature's Wisdom-will be the vertical thread in this loom and rich and varied exchange-a Grand Intercultural Symphony- the horizontal. When woven together, they will produce a soft, rich and beautiful fabric. Perhaps the fabric for a wonderful new global society.

The participants of EXPO 2005, the nations, regions, private enterprises, independent citizens, NPOs/NGOs, and volunteers that form the backbone of global society, will be the weavers on this loom, sure to produce a wondrous fabric for the world.

Closer contact will naturally give rise to friction-the very reason we wish to carefully nurture reason, love, and the adoration of the objects of beauty that humankind possesses. These are sentiments the world over.

But what will be the catalyst for genuine exchange? We believe the answer to be people meeting people, followed by discourse that goes beyond words to achieve mutual understanding and respect.

EXPO 2005 Aichi, Japan, is the place for this intercultural exchange.

In 2005, the world will gather together in Aichi Prefecture. There, we can weave together a fabric for a new global society; we can stand together, exchange smiles and share the wisdom of the world-felt and enjoyed with all our senses and experienced with our whole being.

Let us do this for all life and the future of our planet!


Theme / Exhibition

The Philippine pavilion's theme is "Usbong: Seeds of Life." It showcases a variety of coconut-based exhibits because the Philippines is one of the world's largest exporters of coconuts. The exterior of the dome-shaped pavilion, made up of bits of fabrics, looks like a cross-section of a coconut. A soft glow in the night shining through a facade, made of precision-cut aluminum panel strips using water jet technology, beckons visitors to come nearer. Using laser beams, indigenous habitants' poems are carved onto the fabrics. Stepping inside, visitors stand on modernly engineered coconut floors. The walls and ceiling are a continuous weaving using panels of Philippine fabrics and textiles of "silk cocoon" woven to architectural specifications. The walls double as screens in themselves.

Most interesting is a 7-meter-diameter sphere, called "Essences," a cocoon of "Health and Wellness." In the lower lounge of the sphere, visitors can enjoy flavored tea and have a unique sensory experience of seeing, tasting, feeling smelling and touching essential oils and herbs. The upper lounge of the sphere is a special private place where visitors can experience the "hilot" therapeutic and healing coconut oil massages free of charge. Advance booking is necessary.