News item | 24-04-2025 | 14:46
His Majesty De Koning will visit Japan on Wednesday 21 and Thursday 22 May during World Expo 2025 in Osaka. The king is present during the Dutch National Day on May 21 and gives a speech. He also visits the Dutch Pavilion. Minister Klever for foreign trade and development aid guides De Koning during his visit and also brings an economic working visit with Dutch companies to Osaka and Tokyo. Minister Beljaarts of Economic Affairs simultaneously leads an economic mission aimed at high -tech and digitization. The visit to Japan is also dominated by 425 years of bilateral relations between the Netherlands and Japan.
Expo 2025 Osaka is the 36th world exhibition and has the theme ‘Designing Future Society for Our Lives’. The Expo will be held from 13 April to 13 October 2025 and offers countries and organizations an international stage to present themselves to the world in the field of sustainability and innovation. Expo 2025 Osaka is about the question: How do we organize the world with challenges such as climate change and health care that determine our quality of life? These challenges exceed boundaries and require international cooperation.
As a kingdom, the Netherlands participates in the exhibition with a completely circular pavilion. The umbrella theme of the participation is ‘Common Ground’: bringing people together to resolve global challenges based on shared interests. Visitors interactive, among other things, get acquainted with Dutch innovations that use the power of water. The Dutch Pavilion is also a meeting place for companies, knowledge institutions and (cultural) organizations, in particular aimed at promising sectors such as the energy transition, agrofood, Life Sciences and Health, digitization and culture. The participation of the Netherlands at the Expo in Japan also marks the centuries -long ties between the two countries, since 1600. The bond with Japan was originally mainly economic, but now also focuses on safety, innovation, defense, economic resilience and the international legal order. Prime Minister Schoof opened the Dutch Pavilion on April 22.
Wednesday 21 May
Ceremony National Day and Special Event
In the morning the king attends the ceremony of the Dutch national day and gives a speech. The Dutch Introdans and the Japanese country FES and Sadamatsu-Hamada Ballet Company give a joint modern dance performance ‘Unum’, about inclusiveness. The king then opens the exhibition ‘Bridging and Future’ in Gallery East. This exhibition shows how joint designs of Japanese and Dutch makers combine tradition and innovation.
Dutch and Japanese pavilion
In the afternoon, the king and the ministers first visit the pavilion of host country Japan, which is dominated by the central theme of the exhibition ‘Designing Future Society of Our Lives. The pavilion shows Japanese innovations in the field of sustainability, such as biogas from food waste from the Expo. They then visit the Dutch Pavilion, where they receive an explanation of the theme ‘Common Ground’ and speak with the architect and the makers of the interactive experience. The king experiences the pavilion on the basis of a so -called ‘orb’; A luminous ball that visits visitors during their tour through the pavilion. With the ‘Orb’ they get demonstrations of various Dutch innovations through interactive panels.
Later in the afternoon the king also gets a tour of another pavilion for the Netherlands; The Pasona pavilion. Pasona Group presents a ‘welfare company’, aimed at the latest technological developments for health of body, mind and society.
CEO Round table discussion and reception
The King will also join a few parts of the economic working visit on Wednesday 21 May. For example, he attends the start of a round table discussion with Dutch and Japanese companies, which is chaired by employers’ organizations from both countries: the Dutch VNO-NCW and Japanese Kankeiren. This conversation is aimed at promoting economic cooperation between the Netherlands and the Japanese Kansai region (West-Japan). This region offers opportunities for the Netherlands in the field of Life Sciences and Health and Chemistry; Sectors that play an important role in solving worldwide challenges.
Thursday, May 22
Osaka Castle
The king’s program on Thursday 22 May is dominated by the historical, contemporary and future cooperation with Japan. The day starts with a visit to Osaka Castle together with Minister Klever, where in 1600 the bilateral relations between the Netherlands and Japan started and where the Netherlands, together with Japanese partners, organized a special exhibition to reflect on these 425 years of ‘Common Ground’. In addition to historical objects, new narrative objects can also be seen, developed by the International Research Center for Japanese studies (Nichibunken).
Tekijuku and Nakanoshima Qross
Then King Willem-Alexander and Minister Klever go to Tekuku and Nakanoshima Qross. This visit is dominated by the historical medical cooperation between the Netherlands and Japan, which started in Tekijuku, and the future cooperation in the field of advanced (regenerative) medicine, for which Nakanoshima Qross was founded in 2024.
Tekijuku was a private school for Dutch studies “Rangaku” and was opened in 1838 with the help of the Dutch doctor Bauduin. The curriculum in foreign languages (Dutch) was mainly focused on medicine and is considered the beginning of Western medicine in Japan. Tekijuku was the forerunner of the University of Osaka. The king speaks with professors and students, visits a research laboratory and receives a short presentation about Western medicine history and the role of Dutch language in Japanese science and technology.
Economic mission high -tech and digitization
In the afternoon, the King and Minister Klever are in line with the Economic Mission High -Tech and digitization led by Minister Beljaarts of Economic Affairs. The king attends a round table discussion between Dutch and Japanese CEOs and entrepreneurs from this sector and visits an innovation parade. In addition, he is present at the signing of a few memoranda of agreement (MOUs) between Japanese and Dutch companies and knowledge institutions that enter into collaborations in areas such as semiconductor technology, quantum computing and 5G/6G telecommunications.