Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan continues to resonate, and a deeply moving event took place—one that truly deserves to be called part of the Expo’s lasting legacy.
It was a ceremony marking the successful transplant of the ginkgo tree that served as a symbolic presence in the signature project
“Dialogue Theater – The Sign of Life.”
The Ginkgo Tree from “Dialogue Theater – The Sign of Life”
This ginkgo originally stood on the grounds of a school in Fukuchiyama, Kyoto.
Estimated to be about 100 years old, the tree had been scheduled for removal. Its roots were carefully prepared over six months before it was transported to Yumeshima.
Under the original reuse plan, this “life” was meant to be cut down.
But its fate changed dramatically.
Welcomed as a living embodiment of the Expo’s theme of “life,”
it spent 184 days alongside countless visitors.
It watched over the many guests who came to the Sign of Life pavilion and became a comforting, healing presence.
But the real drama began after that.
◇A Second Notice of Removal
After the Expo ended,
a harsh reality emerged: “If the tree cannot be relocated by the deadline, it will be cut down.”
The transplant proved extremely difficult, and at one point, a mood of resignation reportedly set in.
Still, some people refused to give up.
Producer Naomi Kawase
continued to plead through tears, asking, “Isn’t there any way to save it from being cut down?”
In response to that determination, architect Taichi Saito decided to redesign the landscape!!
Three days before the Expo closed, while Kawase was struggling alone despite believing that “the word ‘cut down’ is not in my dictionary,” an extraordinary offer came. In a backstage area reached by climbing the theater stairs, Izumisano Mayor Chiyomatsu reportedly extended a firm helping hand and said, “We’ll take it.”
◇A Life Carried Forward Through the Efforts of Many
Many obstacles remained, including approval from the city council, but the shared determination to “find a way” continued to spread.
A path was also found to raise funds through Japan’s hometown tax donation program. Thanks to the efforts of many people, including Chairman Matsumoto of the Kansai Economic Federation, the tree was successfully relocated to this site.
In this way, the hopes of many people came together, and a life once expected to be lost was carried forward into the future.
□Ginkgo Tree Planting and Transplant Completion Ceremony
The Ginkgo Tree Planting and Transplant Completion Ceremony was held at Izumisano Hillside Park on June 14, 2026.
Part of the pavilion is also scheduled to be reconstructed here in the future.
A new story is about to begin at this site as part of the Expo’s “legacy.”
The Expo may be over, but the story is not.
The challenges, hopes, and stories surrounding “life” that took shape there are now being passed on to a new place.
Saved twice and having brought comfort to so many people, the ginkgo seemed to radiate an overflowing, invisible power.
To me, it looked as though it were quietly smiling.
Honestly, when I heard this story at the site, I could not stop crying.
This was more than a commemorative ceremony. It was more than an exhibit.
It was
a record of a life that people had fought with all their hearts to protect.
It may be only one tree.
Yet today exists because so many people’s hopes and efforts came to fruition to save that single tree. This miracle could not have happened without every person involved.
To everyone’s surprise, MYAKU-MYAKU also made a special appearance at the celebration, thrilling the crowd.
The event was filled with smiles, and many fans took photos beneath the ginkgo tree.
◇The True Meaning of Life After the Expo
Post-Expo events are now taking place in many locations.
But perhaps the true value of what comes after the Expo can be found in moments like this.
In what continues beyond the ending—and in the connections that become possible because of it.
Through countless encounters and bonds, the miracle continues to unfold.
Encounters with people, objects, and many other things have brought us to where we are today.
I hope this site will become a place filled with people brought together through many new encounters and lasting connections.
Video: Ginkgo Tree Planting and Transplant Completion Ceremony
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