Osaka-Kansai Expo, which recorded approximately 25.6 million visitors, successfully concluded its 184-day run on Monday, October 13th. NTT Group contributed to the Expo’s success by contributing its full resources to the event and implementing various initiatives.

The Osaka-Kansai Expo concluded on Monday, October 13th. The Expo, which brought together 158 countries and regions under the theme of “Designing a Future Society for Life,” attracted 25,578,986 general visitors. While the Expo Association’s target of 28.2 million visitors fell short, the Expo is expected to post a profit of 23 billion to 28 billion yen, successfully completing the 184-day run.
The NTT Group exhibited at the NTT Pavilion. The theme was “PARALLEL TRAVEL” (a pavilion that travels through time and space), and it presented the future of communication.
Kenichi Morioka, project manager for the NTT West Japan 2025 World Expo Project, said, “The number of visitors to the NTT Pavilion exceeded 300,000 in September, and ultimately grew to reach 400,000. We also had over 1,000 corporate clients visit, and we were able to introduce IOWN and other products to them.”

One of the major features of the NTT Pavilion was the continued support of NTT Group employees who worked together to keep the pavilion running.
Approximately 2,300 employees kept the pavilion running, taking turns running it 46 times over 184 days, in five-day increments.

These efforts also led to stronger employee engagement, and the pavilion was sometimes called the “miracle pavilion.” “At the opening, we waved to visitors to welcome them, and at the closing, we sent them off with glow sticks. All of this was done voluntarily by our employees,” says Morioka.
The NTT Pavilion places importance on D&I (Diversity and Inclusion), and has set up priority lanes for people with disabilities, stroller parking areas, and a priority area for children.
Measures were also taken to combat the summer heat. Operation staff wore air-conditioned work suits, and parasols were set up in the pavilion. Parasols were also lent to visitors. Large mist fans and spot coolers were also installed to help alleviate the heat.
“We also made efforts to ensure that wheelchair users and deaf customers could enjoy the pavilion,” says Morioka.
For example, Expo Commemoration Park in Suita and the NTT Pavilion were connected via IOWN, and by transmitting not only visual and auditory senses but also tactile and vibrational sensations without delay, the two spaces were unified in a special performance called “IOWN x Perfume,” making it feel as if the audience was right next to each other.

One performance involved the ground shaking in time with Perfume’s dance, but it is difficult to experience the ground shaking from a wheelchair. For this reason, the shaking could be experienced through a handheld device.

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