On a flat expanse of reclaimed land in Osaka Bay, Japan has been busy preparing to stage a vision of the future.
This Sunday, the gates to the 2025 World Expo will officially open on the human-made island of Yumeshima (which translates, perhaps a touch optimistically, as ¡°Dream Island¡±), kicking off a six-month extravaganza featuring pavilions from more than 160 countries, territories and organizations.
The theme is lofty and somewhat indistinct: ¡°Designing Future Society for Our Lives.¡± But what that means ¡ª and whether visitors will buy in ¡ª remains unclear. Rehearsals held last weekend offered glimpses of both promise and peril: immersive displays that sparked wonder, alongside long lines, buggy smartphone apps and an unnerving gas leak. Attendance may well pick up (so far, buzz has been noticeably absent), but a larger question looms: Can the expo format ¡ª born in the 19th century as a pageant of empire and industry ¡ª still matter in an age of virtual connection and climate concerns?
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