Prime Minister Kishida and METI State Minister Hosoda Attend the 1000 Days to Go! Event (Tokyo), 1,000 Days Prior to Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai; Name of the Official Character and Theme Song Announced

1. Overview of the 1000 Days to Go! event, 1000 days prior to the expo

Tokyo

An event was held at the Tokyo Skytree to build momentum for Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai. Prime Minister Kishida, State Minister Hosoda, and Chairman Tokura of the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition attended. In addition to the name of the official character being announced and a laser mapping projection on Tokyo Skytree, the tower was also lit up in a special color to match the expo's color theme.

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Osaka

At Gramercy Park in Universal Studios Japan, the Come to Osaka! Kickoff Event was held. The 1,000-day countdown to the expo was declared, and KOBUKURO—the ambassador of Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai—put on a special live performance at the event, with attendance of Minister for the World Expo 2025 Wakamiya.

2. Announcing the name of Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai official character

The design of the official character for the expo was decided on March 22, 2022, and the open call for its name was conducted from April 26 to May 16. A selection committee considered the 33,197 ideas submitted from the public and chose what it considered to be the best name among the submissions: MYAKU-MYAKU.

<Character design>

<Best name award winners>

Miyuu Kawakatsu
Hinata Sakuda

<Nickname concept>

Ms. Kawakatsu

Our human DNA, wisdom, technology, history, and culture have all been passed down to the present continuously—or "myaku-myaku"-ly, as we say in Japanese. This ever-changing character harbors infinite possibilities, and it could continue passing down the greatness of us human beings "myaku-myaku"-ly into the future. I named it MYAKU-MYAKU with that hope in mind. Myaku also means "pulse," so it represents life in itself. The repeated "myaku-myaku" sounds like life continuing on.

Ms. Sakuda

When I first saw this character, the red and blue reminded me of arteries and veins—domyaku and jomyaku in Japanese, respectively. Somewhat related to those ideas, myaku can also carry the meaning of a "chain" or "thread," so I thought it was a great word to express two themes of this expo: connections between human civilizations and international connections.

<Comments from selection committee members>

Comment from Takashi Nakahata, selection committee chairperson

A nickname is a name other than someone's real one that is used to refer to him or her in a friendly manner, so the most important thing about this nickname was that it felt friendly and easy to remember. It also had to be meaningful and unique to the Osaka, Kansai Expo. We wanted it to feel international, too. We did keep a lot of requirements in mind when choosing. Thanks to that, we were able to choose a great nickname for this ever-changing character. However, nicknames are something you nurture over time rather than just things you create. I hope MYAKU-MYAKU will be loved and nurtured as this expo progresses.

Comment from aiko, selection committee member

I was so surprised that I was chosen as a member of the selection committee. As a Kansai native, I felt very proud. I put all my love and emotions into my choice as one person helping to bring this character to life. It already feels like a friend. I hope the Osaka, Kansai Expo will make many people smile. I want us to all welcome the exciting days and the wonderful future that lies ahead with laughter and joy.

Comment from Kohei Yamashita, selection committee member

First, congratulations to Ms. Kawakatsu and Ms. Sakuda, who thought of this name. I'm thankful to be a member of the selection committee. This is a valuable opportunity. The many names we received were all very interesting, and it was so hard to choose one from among them all. At the selection committee meeting, I read each concept and said each name out loud under my mask, trying to find a name that resonated well. As we move toward 2025, I hope many people—not only in Kansai but all around the world—will call this character MYAKU-MYAKU and love it.

3. Announcing the official theme song

KOBUKURO—the ambassador of Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai—put on a special live show where they announced the expo's theme song, "Kono Hoshi no Tsuzuki Wo."

Division in Charge

International Exhibitions Promotion Office, Commerce and Service Industry Policy Group