Tokushima Prefecture will hold the “EXPO LEGACY TOKUSHIMA Appreciation Exhibition” to present the achievements of its initiatives at the 2025 Osaka–Kansai Expo, which concluded in October. The exhibition will feature works relocated from the Kansai Pavilion’s Tokushima Zone, along with materials highlighting outcomes from the Expo’s international exchange activities.
In addition, the prefecture has received the donation of a sofa that was actually displayed and used in the Germany Pavilion. It will be installed in the central area of the Kenmin Hall and related locations.
1. Exhibition Overview
(1) Title / Theme: EXPO LEGACY TOKUSHIMA Appreciation Exhibition
(2) Exhibition Period: December 1, 2025 (Mon) to March 31, 2026 (Tue)
- On weekdays in December 2025, the exhibition will be open from 8:30 to 20:00.
- On weekdays from January to March 2026, the exhibition will be open from 8:30 to 18:15.
- On December 20 (Sat) and December 21 (Sun), the exhibition will be open from 10:00 to 16:00.
*Except for December 20 (Sat) and December 21 (Sun), the exhibition will be closed on all other Saturdays, Sundays, holidays, and during the year-end/New Year period.
(3) Venue: Tokushima Prefectural Government Building 1st Floor “Kenmin Hall” and “Entrance Hall”
(4) Exhibits: Displays from the Tokushima Zone, the Germany Pavilion sofa, and indigo-dyed works created through international exchange at the Expo
2. Ceremony Overview
(1) Date and Time: December 1, 2025 (Mon), 12:30–13:00
(2) Venue: Tokushima Prefectural Government Building 1st Floor “Entrance Hall”
(3) Attendees (honorifics omitted)
・Tokushima Governor Masazumi Gotoda
・Tokushima Prefectural Assembly Chair Kazuhito Sumi
・Former Thailand Pavilion Manager Kampanat Pitakpinitchanan
・Tominaga Joiner Co., Ltd. Keiji Tominaga (Exhibit Creator Representative)
・Tokushima Zone Attendant Representative
(4) Association
・Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition
・Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany
(Notes)
The ceremony will feature appearances by Myaku-Myaku, the official mascot of the Osaka–Kansai Expo; Circular, the official mascot of the Germany Pavilion; and Sudachi-kun.
After the ceremony, students from Tomita Elementary School will tour the exhibition together with the characters, guided by the Tokushima Zone attendants.
Regarding the Installation of the “Germany Pavilion” Sofa
Exchange between Germany and Tokushima began during World War I, when German soldiers and local residents at the Bando Prisoner-of-War Camp formed a friendship that transcended their positions. In 1974, the City of Lüneburg in Lower Saxony and the City of Naruto became sister cities, and in 2007, Lower Saxony and Tokushima Prefecture signed a “Declaration on Exchange.” Since then, both sides have continued to deepen their ties across cultural, educational, and economic fields.
At the 2025 Osaka–Kansai Expo, the Germany Pavilion and Tokushima Prefecture built on their long-standing municipal-level relationship by engaging in mutual visits, cultural exchange activities such as Awa Odori and indigo dyeing, and direct person-to-person interaction. As a testament to the mutual understanding strengthened through these exchanges, the Germany Pavilion has decided to donate this sofa to Tokushima Prefecture free of charge.
The sofa formed part of the Germany Pavilion’s exhibition themed around the circular economy, expressing a future vision of shifting from a disposable society to one that circulates resources and passes them on to the next generation. As Tokushima Prefecture shares this vision, the sofa serves as both a testament to their exchange and a symbol of friendship.
Tokushima Prefecture will place the sofa in spaces such as the Kenmin Hall and the Prefectural Government Fureai Center so that residents and visitors can encounter, in an accessible way, the long-standing friendship built with Germany. Through the use of this piece, the aim is for people to sense both the strengthened ties between Germany and Tokushima at the Osaka–Kansai Expo and the prefecture’s connection to the wider world.
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