Name: Expo '70 Commemorative Park
Address: Senribanpakukoen, Suita, Osaka 565-0826, Japan
Telephone: 06-6877-7387
Rating: 4.3

Park on the grounds of a 1970 World's Fair featuring a museum, a stadium & the Tower of the Sun.

Universal Studios Japan

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Expo '70 Commemorative Park was built on the former site of the 1970 World Exposition (Expo '70), a landmark event in Japanese history.

World's Fair Origin

The park is home to the iconic 'Tower of the Sun' sculpture, created by artist Taro Okamoto, which remains a powerful symbol of the Expo and the park itself.

Iconic Sculpture

The park features a beautiful Japanese Garden, showcasing traditional landscaping techniques and providing a tranquil space for visitors.

Traditional Beauty

Besides the open spaces, the park also houses several museums, including the National Museum of Art, Osaka, offering diverse cultural experiences.

Cultural Attractions

The park's central area, once known as the Symbol Zone during Expo '70, has been redeveloped into a green space, preserving the memory of the event.

Central Area

The Okamoto Taro Pavilion showcases the works and legacy of the artist behind the Tower of the Sun, providing insights into his artistic vision.

Artist's Legacy

Expo '70 Commemorative Park

Expo '70 Commemorative Park, built on the former site of the 1970 World Exposition in Suita, Osaka, is more than just a green space; it's a living monument to a pivotal moment in Japanese history. The iconic Tower of the Sun, designed by artist Taro Okamoto, remains a powerful symbol, its three faces representing the past, present, and future. Less known is the fact that the tower originally had a fourth face on its underground level, symbolizing the underworld, which was removed after the Expo. The park's Japanese Garden, a meticulously crafted landscape, showcases traditional gardening techniques and offers a serene contrast to the futuristic architecture that once dominated the area. The park also houses the Expo '70 Pavilion, preserving artifacts and exhibits from the event, allowing visitors to relive the atmosphere of technological optimism and international collaboration that defined the era. The park's vastness, covering over 260 hectares, provides ample space for diverse activities, from picnicking to exploring museums, making it a unique blend of historical preservation and recreational space.

Introduction

Expo '70 Commemorative Park in Suita, Osaka, is intrinsically linked to the Tower of the Sun, an avant-garde sculpture by artist Tarō Okamoto that served as the symbol of Expo '70. The tower, standing approximately 70 meters high, features three distinct faces: a golden face at the top representing the future, a face on the belly symbolizing the present, and a black sun on the back embodying the past. Originally intended as a temporary structure, its preservation was secured in 1975, making it an iconic symbol of Osaka and the most visible legacy of Expo '70.

During the Expo, visitors could enter the tower to view Okamoto's "Tree of Life," a 41-meter-tall artwork representing the evolution of creatures. Although the interior exhibit closed after the Expo, it reopened in March 2018 after restoration and reinforcement against earthquakes. The renovated interior features a restored "Tree of Life" and a reconstructed "Sun of the Underworld."

The Tower of the Sun was conceived as a vertical passageway between the underground and the air, and it had a strong impact on the 1970 Osaka Expo. The tower's tip projected out of a circular hole cut in the Big Roof's ceiling due to its height. The Natural and Cultural Gardens surround the Tower of the Sun, offering seasonal views and recreational activities.

Tower of the Sun

The Natural and Cultural Gardens within Expo '70 Commemorative Park offer a unique experience, transforming the former Expo site into a verdant cultural park. Spanning approximately 260 hectares, about 65 times the size of Koshien Stadium, the gardens showcase the Tower of the Sun, a remnant of Expo '70, alongside seasonal flowers and expansive lawns. Originally conceived to recreate a natural forest, the gardens feature diverse trees, plants, and flowers planted after the Osaka Expo.

Within the Natural and Cultural Gardens, visitors can explore distinct areas reflecting different landscaping styles and periods. A stream guides visitors through these varied landscapes, embodying the Japanese aesthetics of "wabi" and "sabi." The gardens also host cultural, sports, recreational, and leisure facilities.

A key highlight is the Expo '70 Pavilion, a museum displaying documents, photographs, and videos from the 1970 event. An annex added in August 2023 features new exhibits, including the "Golden Mask" from the Tower of the Sun and the "EXPO '70 Experience Gallery." The Natural and Cultural Gardens serve as photogenic spots, allowing visitors to enjoy seasonal flora. The park also contains stadiums and ball game fields; visitors may be able to view Gamba Osaka training sessions.

Admission to the Natural and Cultural Gardens is required, with a combined ticket available for both the gardens and the Japanese Garden.

Nature and Cultural Gardens

The Expo '70 Commemorative Park stands as a living testament to the 1970 Japan World Exposition, a pivotal event symbolizing Japan's resurgence and its reintegration into the global community. Originally the site of the Expo, which drew over 64 million visitors, the park now serves as a verdant reminder of the "good old days of high economic growth in Japan". The park's transformation from an exposition ground to a public space underscores the Expo's theme of "Progress and Harmony for Mankind," emphasizing a blend of Eastern and Western civilizations.

Dominating the landscape is the Tower of the Sun, a creation of artist Taro Okamoto, which remains one of the most recognizable symbols of the Expo. Initially intended as a temporary structure, its preservation reflects the Expo's lasting impact on Osaka's identity. The tower, featuring three faces representing the past, present, and future, encapsulates the forward-thinking spirit of the event. Inside the tower, the "Tree of Life" exhibit, painstakingly restored, offers a glimpse into the Expo's original vision.

Beyond the Tower of the Sun, the park integrates elements of the Expo, including the Japanese landscape garden and the Expo '70 Pavilion, a memorial museum. The park's legacy extends beyond its physical space, influencing subsequent events like the Horticultural Expo 1990 Osaka and inspiring the theme of "Designing Future Society for Our Lives" for Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai. The park embodies the Expo's enduring message of harmony and progress.

Expo '70 Legacy

The Japanese Garden within Expo '70 Commemorative Park showcases the evolution of Japanese landscaping techniques. Created as a government exhibit for Expo '70, the garden guides visitors through distinct landscaping styles, from early to medieval, modern, and contemporary periods. A stream flows from west to east, shaping the visitor experience across these varied styles.

Within the garden's medieval area, bamboo groves evoke serenity, while a Karesansui (dry landscape garden) uses stones and sand to represent water, embodying the "wabi-sabi" aesthetic—finding beauty in simplicity. Shinji-ike Pond, located in the early modern section, is shaped like the Japanese character for "heart." The garden exemplifies the "chisenkaiyushiki" style, a stroll garden featuring a central pond, stone arrangements, trees, and yukimi lanterns set against miniature hills. This area represents a mature form of Japanese garden design.

The "Falls in Filtered Sun Light" in the joudai area features multiple waterfalls, with a central cascade reaching 3.5 meters. Maple trees line the banks, offering seasonal beauty with fresh green leaves in spring and red foliage in autumn. A complete circuit of the Japanese Garden takes approximately 90 minutes, though a shorter 30-minute route from the central rest area highlights Tsuki-yama's views, the scenery around Shinji-ike Pond, and the Karesansui garden.

Japanese Garden Landscaping

The National Museum of Ethnology (Minpaku), a key institution dedicated to cultural anthropology and ethnology, is situated within the grounds of Expo '70 Commemorative Park. Founded in 1974 and opened in 1977, the museum enhances the park's cultural significance. Minpaku is one of the world's largest ethnological museums. It promotes understanding of global societies through research, exhibitions, lectures, and workshops.

The museum's collection comprises approximately 345,000 items, including tools, costumes, and 70,000 video and audio resources, alongside 690,000 bibliographic documents. These resources are available for public use in research and education.

Designed by Kisho Kurokawa, the museum's architecture embodies the concept of metabolism, allowing for organic growth and adaptation. The steel-framed reinforced concrete structure has undergone several extensions, reflecting the evolving nature of society and function.

Located a 15-minute walk from Expo Memorial Park Station, the National Museum of Ethnology is an integral part of the Expo '70 Commemorative Park, enriching the park's offerings with its extensive collection and research facilities. Admission to the main museum exhibition is ¥580 for adults, ¥250 for university students, and free for high school students and younger. Note that Expo Park parking is available.

Expo '70 Commemorative Park

Did You Know?

World's Fair Origin

Iconic Sculpture

Traditional Beauty

Cultural Attractions

Highlights from Reviews

Location