An ecosystem talk session linked to the theme of ‘LIVE EARTH JOURNEY’ at the Osaka-Kansai Expo will be held in Osaka Umeda.
Vector Vision Inc. (Setagaya, Tokyo), led by Shoji Kawamori, director and mecha designer of the Macross series, announced the interim results of the collaborative project ‘The Search for Life Forms is Deculture!’ as part of the ‘Adventures of Life’ themed production for the 2025 Japan International Expo (Osaka-Kansai Expo) produced by Shoji Kawamori. Additionally, a valuable talk session with animation director Yoshiyuki Tomino was held, discussing the pavilion’s theme of ecosystems.
Passing the baton from Mr. Yoshiyuki Tomino, the founding chairman of the Anime Tourism Association.
河The source of Shoji Kawamori’s creativity is ‘travel.’ Since the 2023 fiscal year, he has been involved in the activities of the ‘Anime Tourism Association,’ which works with local governments to designate anime pilgrimage sites.
Now, having taken over the baton from his esteemed predecessor, Mr. Yoshiyuki Tomino, Kawamori has assumed the role of the second chairman of the Anime Tourism Association. He will carry on the association’s mission of ‘supporting everyone involved in anime, fostering the development of both the anime industry and local communities, and contributing to making Japan and local regions globally recognized destinations.’
At the press conference, Mr. Tomino and Mr. Kawamori held a talk session discussing the role of anime in regional revitalization, the future connections between Japan and the world, as well as ecosystems.
Director Tomino said, ‘At first, I disliked the concept of anime tourism, thinking it was merely about encouraging people to travel. But after seeing messages from fans, I realized that people who had been captivated by the fantasy of anime were visiting real places. I started to believe there was value in showcasing Japan’s hidden charm through this. It could improve people’s ability to observe things. Including biodiversity, those people traveling around various places for 20 or 30 years might discover that even unfamiliar lands are not without value.’
He also spoke about ecosystems, saying, ‘Humans must use our finite Earth in an infinite way. We shouldn’t just keep building skyscrapers everywhere; we need to increase green spaces, like we see here in Umeda.’
Producer Kawamori said, “While human-made designs have clear intentions, the designs of nature and ecosystems are full of mysteries, making them fascinating. Approaching the unknown is what the ‘Adventures of Life’ pavilion is all about, and venturing into the unknown is also what tourism represents.
Traveling the world, I was deeply struck by the sparkling eyes of children I met in remote areas of China and along the Silk Road. I love cutting-edge technology and design, but I feel that unless we also connect with nature, there’s an imbalance.”
Director Tomino echoed the importance of this perspective in his remarks.
‘The Search for Life Forms is Deculture!’ Surpasses 1.5 Million Posts! Progress Report Meeting
Produced by Shoji Kawamori, the ‘LIVE EARTH JOURNEY’ project, in collaboration with its sponsoring partners—Biome Inc. (Kyoto, CEO Shogoro Fujiki), Coca-Cola Bottlers Japan Inc. (Tokyo, President and CEO Karin Dragan), TOPPAN Holdings Inc. (Tokyo, President and CEO Hideharu Maro), and Kura Sushi Inc. (Osaka, President Kunihiko Tanaka)—launched the ecosystem observation project ‘The Search for Life Forms is Deculture! (formerly ‘Myaku Myaku Life Quest: The Chain of Life’)’ in the fall of 2023.
It has now been announced that the number of posts for this project has surpassed 1.5 million.
Mr. Shogoro Fujiki, CEO of Biome Inc., stated, ‘Currently, around one million species are on the brink of extinction. We need biodiversity monitoring and reliable measures based on data. The situation is that monitoring efforts are not progressing globally, which is why we established Biome. Through this collaborative project, I hope people will experience the fascination of living organisms.’
Ms. Sari Selph from the EXPO Sales Promotion Department of Coca-Cola Bottlers Japan Inc. introduced the company’s water resource conservation initiatives. She announced that by collaborating with local communities in the watershed surrounding their factories, they are engaging in activities such as forest conservation, grassland preservation, and maintaining waterlogged rice fields, which contribute to ecosystem conservation.
Mr. Masakazu Fujita from the EXPO 2025 Business Promotion Group of the Expo & IR Promotion Office at TOPPAN Holdings Inc. introduced the biotope activities promoted at their owned facilities. He shared that they utilize Biome for monitoring in their conservation areas and that these efforts have been designated as part of the Ministry of the Environment’s ’30 by 30′ initiative.
Mr. Yuichiro Koyama, Junior Manager of the Public Relations Department at Kura Sushi Inc., introduced Japan’s first ‘Organic Hamachi,’ ‘Smart Aquaculture’ utilizing AI, the ‘Fish 100% Project,’ which makes full use of caught fish, and initiatives for utilizing underused fish.
From over 50,000 posts featuring ‘rare species’ that express the ‘view of the world’ in the Biome Cell, 29 species are introduced without providing their location information.
Attention was also given to ‘invasive species’ such as the American bullfrog and nutria. In a panel discussion themed ‘Notable Organisms Seen in Autumn,’ organisms affected by climate change, such as the tawny coster butterfly and autumn foliage, were introduced. Additionally, the Biome Cell (tentative) expressing the ‘view of the world’ from the perspective of nature enthusiasts was unveiled for the first time.
▼Press Release
https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000015.000122231.html