Everything for That Smile

A Message to Our Visitors

The GREEN×EXPO 2027 site will be filled with flowers and greenery throughout the seasons, including approximately 600 cherry trees representing around 40 varieties.
But the highlights are not limited to the outdoors. The Themed Pavilion also features a vast indoor planting area, bringing together plants from around the world.
There may even be more to discover than you can fit into a single visit. So please give yourself plenty of time and explore at your own pace, enjoying the Expo in your own way.

Where Different Cultures Meet

— What role are you playing in preparing for GREEN×EXPO 2027?

Ogawa:

I coordinate with the various parties involved in producing the Themed Pavilion and shaping the visitor experience.
With people from national and local governments, private companies, and many other organizations working together, differences in working styles and organizational cultures can be challenging.
Even so, we all share the same fundamental goal: to create an experience that visitors will truly enjoy.
I see my role as bridging these different perspectives, bringing clarity to the project’s direction, and keeping it moving forward.

— What do you value most in your work?

Ogawa:

In my previous role, I worked in operations at a professional sports club.
On rainy mornings, the entire staff would sometimes work together to wipe down around 10,000 seats in the stadium’s uncovered areas.
It was hard work, but once preparations were complete and the stadium gradually filled with energy, seeing spectators enjoying themselves made me feel it had all been worthwhile.
I was especially happy when people wrote on social media that the hospitality was outstanding. Knowing the care and effort we put in reached the people we welcomed meant a great deal to me.

Whatever the work may be, what lies at the heart of everything I do is the desire to create moments of inspiration that stay with people. As we prepare for GREEN×EXPO 2027, I will continue planting the seeds of experiences that I hope will bring smiles to our visitors.

Into the World of Plants

— What kind of exhibition experience are you aiming to create at the Themed Pavilion?

Ogawa:

The Underground Forest, the Forest of Umwelt, the Forest of Awareness, and the Forest of Connection—once you step into the Themed Pavilion, you are invited into the world of plants.
You will discover what normally remains hidden from view: the world beneath the ground, what plants perceive and the messages they send, and the many ways plants are connected to people. Moving through the pavilion as if exploring a forest, visitors will encounter unfamiliar and surprising sides of the plant world.

Above all, I want visitors to simply have a great time—as they would in an entertainment space brought to life through sound, light, and moving images.
And I would be delighted if something they experienced in the Themed Pavilion comes back to them even after they leave. Perhaps they will notice a plant growing at their feet on the way home. Perhaps they will feel inspired to grow a plant themselves when they return home. If even one small discovery finds its way into their everyday lives, that would be a real success!