Kansai Event report • Communication - Press • Partners

Ground breaking ceremony for the France Pavilion at Expo 2025

26 April 2024 • by Pierre Van Nieuwenhuyse, Jean-François Rauch : kansai-desk(@)ccifj.or.jp

The groundbreaking ceremony took place in the presence of Minister Franck Riester on Yumeshima Island on Tuesday, April 23, 2024.

Less than a year before the Osaka 2025 World Expo, a decisive milestone has been reached with the start of construction on the French Pavilion. This symbolic moment, taking place on Yumeshima Island, was marked by the inaugural act of Mr. Franck RIESTER, Minister Delegate in charge of Foreign Trade, Attractiveness, Francophonie, and French Nationals Abroad.

The ceremony began at 10 am with speeches by Mr. Jacques MAIRE, President of Cofrex and Commissioner General of the France Pavilion, followed by Mr. Hideyuki YOKOYAMA (横山英幸), Mayor of Osaka, Mr. Ono HEIHACHIRŌ (小野平八郎), and finally Mr. Franck RIESTER.

The construction kickoff, symbolized by the traditional "Sei… no! Hei hei hei!", marked the official start of the France Pavilion Expo 2025 project.

From left to right: Mr. Thomas Coldefy, architect; Mr. Philippe Setton, Ambassador of France to Japan; Mr. Ono Heihachiro, Deputy Secretary General of the Japan Association for the 2025 World Expo; Mr. Franck Riester, Minister Delegate in charge of Foreign Trade, Attractiveness, Francophonie, and French Nationals Abroad; Mr. Yokoyama Hideyuki, Mayor of Osaka; Mr. Jacques Maire, Commissioner General of the French section at Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai; Mr. Tsutomu Himeno, Representative of the Government and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary for Kansai, Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Mr. Giuseppe Chiaranda, President of Rimond.

Following this event, Mr. Thomas COLDEFY, architect and co-founder of Coldefy & Associés Architectes Urbanistes, Mr. Maire, and Mr. Franck Riester answered media questions during a Q&A session.

This event brought together a significant number of leading political and economic figures, including Mr. SeijiYASUBUCHI (安渕聖司), Representative Director of Axa Japan; Mr. Kazushige SAKIYAMA (崎山一茂), Vice President of Bureau Veritas; Ms. Celine TAKIZAWA (滝澤セリーヌ) of Mazars; Mr. Malik ROUMANE, President of MCDecaux; and Mr. Philippe SETTON, France Ambassador.

Among the notable attendees, the presence of Mr. Norbert LEURET, Vice President of the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Japan and President of LVMH Japan, as a Gold partner of the Pavilion, underscores the company's commitment to this major international event.