The exhibition at the Portugal Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka is aligned with the Expo’s theme – Designing Future Society for Our Lives – and with the national theme Ocean, the Blue Dialogue, reflecting Portugal's commitment to SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and SDG 14 (Life Below Water).
The exhibition is organised into two main rooms and includes an outdoor sound installation that offers visitors an immersive experience, inviting reflection on Portugal’s enduring relationship with the ocean – both ancestral and contemporary.
Nucleus 1 – Our DNA
Five themed islands explore how the connection between Portugal and the sea has shaped history, culture and innovation – from contributions to modern cartography and the first representations of Japan to linguistic affinities between Portuguese and Japanese, renewable energy, and the submarine cables that connect us to the world. This section takes visitors on a journey through five 'islands', each representing a different aspect of Portugal’s deep-rooted bond with the ocean – and its historical and cultural links to Japan.
Island 1 – Sharing Knowledge
This island presents Portugal’s contribution to world cartography, from the famous Cantino Planisphere (1502), which accurately depicted the continents and introduced the concept of a single ocean, to the first cartographic representation of Japan in the Atlas of Lázaro Luís (1563). A suspended ‘wave’ projection provides a visual link connecting this historical knowledge.
Island 2 – Sharing Culture
Here, visitors encounter the Namban screens, which illustrate the 16th-century encounters between Portuguese and Japanese cultures. Animated scenes bring to life sailors, merchants and missionaries as central figures in cultural and commercial exchange.
Island 3 – Sharing Language
This island explores the linguistic dialogue between Portugal and Japan, highlighting words that still exist in both languages today. It reflects the continuity of a cultural exchange that began over 400 years ago and still resonates today.
Island 4 – Sharing Responsibility
This space highlights Portugal’s maritime vocation and its commitment to sustainability through the extension of the Portuguese Continental Shelf and the protection of marine biodiversity in three Marine Protected Areas – Madeira, the Azores and the Mainland. It raises awareness of Portugal’s active role in ocean conservation, in line with SDG 14.
Island 5 – Sharing Resources
This island showcases Portuguese innovation in ocean monitoring, offshore renewable energy, and global digital connectivity via submarine cables. The “human hand” that inspires the suspended “wave” symbolises Portugal’s ambition to build a sustainable future in partnership with the ocean.
The exhibition is organised into two main rooms and includes an outdoor sound installation that offers visitors an immersive experience, inviting reflection on Portugal’s enduring relationship with the ocean – both ancestral and contemporary.
Nucleus 1 – Our DNA
Five themed islands explore how the connection between Portugal and the sea has shaped history, culture and innovation – from contributions to modern cartography and the first representations of Japan to linguistic affinities between Portuguese and Japanese, renewable energy, and the submarine cables that connect us to the world. This section takes visitors on a journey through five 'islands', each representing a different aspect of Portugal’s deep-rooted bond with the ocean – and its historical and cultural links to Japan.
Island 1 – Sharing Knowledge
This island presents Portugal’s contribution to world cartography, from the famous Cantino Planisphere (1502), which accurately depicted the continents and introduced the concept of a single ocean, to the first cartographic representation of Japan in the Atlas of Lázaro Luís (1563). A suspended ‘wave’ projection provides a visual link connecting this historical knowledge.
Island 2 – Sharing Culture
Here, visitors encounter the Namban screens, which illustrate the 16th-century encounters between Portuguese and Japanese cultures. Animated scenes bring to life sailors, merchants and missionaries as central figures in cultural and commercial exchange.
Island 3 – Sharing Language
This island explores the linguistic dialogue between Portugal and Japan, highlighting words that still exist in both languages today. It reflects the continuity of a cultural exchange that began over 400 years ago and still resonates today.
Island 4 – Sharing Responsibility
This space highlights Portugal’s maritime vocation and its commitment to sustainability through the extension of the Portuguese Continental Shelf and the protection of marine biodiversity in three Marine Protected Areas – Madeira, the Azores and the Mainland. It raises awareness of Portugal’s active role in ocean conservation, in line with SDG 14.
Island 5 – Sharing Resources
This island showcases Portuguese innovation in ocean monitoring, offshore renewable energy, and global digital connectivity via submarine cables. The “human hand” that inspires the suspended “wave” symbolises Portugal’s ambition to build a sustainable future in partnership with the ocean.
Nucleus 2 – Our Ambition
This section features an immersive digital installation that underlines the urgency of protecting the oceans and highlights the role of Portuguese technology in promoting global sustainability. It reinforces Portugal’s commitment to innovative solutions for the planet’s environmental challenges.
The Portugal Pavilion also includes a store featuring 25 Portuguese companies and 243 products; a restaurant area inviting visitors to discover the richness of Portuguese cuisine; and the Ocean Made Room, a multipurpose space that hosts a range of business and institutional events.
Watch the video.
This section features an immersive digital installation that underlines the urgency of protecting the oceans and highlights the role of Portuguese technology in promoting global sustainability. It reinforces Portugal’s commitment to innovative solutions for the planet’s environmental challenges.
The Portugal Pavilion also includes a store featuring 25 Portuguese companies and 243 products; a restaurant area inviting visitors to discover the richness of Portuguese cuisine; and the Ocean Made Room, a multipurpose space that hosts a range of business and institutional events.
Watch the video.
