A festive press conference was held in Horn, Lower Austria, to present Austria’s contribution to the upcoming world Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan. Prominent personalities were in attendance, including the Federal Minister of Labor and Economy, Dr. Martin Kocher, the Governor of Lower Austria, Johanna Mikl-Leitner, and the Japanese Ambassador to Austria, Akira Mizuuchi. The event’s highlight was the presentation of the wooden loop, an architectural masterpiece that will adorn Austria’s pavilion at the Expo.
The spiral-shaped wooden sculpture, reminiscent of a musical band, was created by local craftsmen from sustainable Lower Austrian forestry and is intended to highlight the importance of the Austrian forestry and timber industry. It will now embark on a highly symbolic journey to Japan and arrive in Kobe at the end of December, welcoming visitors to Expo 2025 under the motto “Composing the Future”. The wooden bow was designed as a strong symbol of Austrian innovative strength and technical expertise.
Symbol of the bond between Austria and Japan
In his speech, Ambassador Mizuuchi emphasized that Expo preparations in Japan are proceeding smoothly and that there is great anticipation for the World Expo. He reported that over seven million tickets had already been sold in advance. The Expo will commemorate a historic chapter: at the Vienna World Expo in 1873, the “Shachihoko” – a golden Japanese mythical fish – delighted visitors. Mizuuchi wished the wooden bow “revenge” for this historic event and is looking forward to it serving as a symbol of Austrian-Japanese friendship and cooperation.
Promoting economic relations
Dr. Martin Kocher and Johanna Mikl-Leitner emphasized the importance of Austria’s participation in the Expo, which offered an opportunity to further expand economic and cultural relations with Japan. According to the two, Austria’s pavilion will not only represent the country’s innovative strength and sustainability but will also provide new economic impetus. The focus will be on creating new economic networks and strengthening existing cooperation.
Transport and international cooperation
The wooden bow will be transported to Japan by the Japanese-Austrian logistics company Cargo-Partner, which is cooperating with the Japanese logistics giant N-Ex. This cooperation symbolizes the close connection and the common striving for economic success of both nations. Austria’s contribution to the Expo will therefore not only be admired as an architectural masterpiece in Japan but also as the result of strong international partnerships.
Through its contribution to Expo 2025, Austria is showing itself as a cosmopolitan and innovative nation that is ready to meet the challenges of the future with creativity and technological progress. The wooden bow will serve as an ambassador of Austrian culture and craftsmanship in Osaka and pave the way for a “harmoniously composed future”.