Wallonia Week at Expo 2025 Osaka

From 25 to 30 May 2025, the Belgian Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka successfully hosted Wallonia Week, a vibrant showcase of Wallonia-Brussels’ creativity, innovation, and dynamism across multiple sectors including life sciences, creative & digital industries, tourism, gastronomy, and chocolate.

Key Themes & Highlights

Each day of the week featured a distinct theme, bringing Wallonia to life for visitors:

• Cultural & Creative Industries (No Borders, New Territories): Digital arts, AR/VR, and interactive installations captivated audiences, highlighting Wallonia’s forward-thinking cultural scene.

• Chocolate Day: Walloon chocolatiers delighted visitors with live demonstrations and tastings, celebrating the region’s renowned chocolate craftsmanship.

• Tourism Day: Wallonia’s landscapes, heritage sites, and slow tourism experiences inspired travelers, emphasizing the region’s natural beauty and rich cultural history.

• Life Sciences Day: Healthtech innovations, digital medicine, and AI-driven healthcare solutions were showcased, underlining Wallonia-Brussels’ strength in scientific and technological research.

• Society 5.0 Day: Visitors explored initiatives addressing aging, inclusion, and social resilience through technology, reflecting Wallonia’s commitment to human-centered innovation.

Opening festivities set a festive tone, including guided tours, cultural performances by the Échasseurs de Namur, dance sessions, and DJ sets blending tradition with modernity. A special architectural event on 27 May featured the screening of Beyond the Pavilion (by Mister Emma), celebrating Belgian pavilion design and sustainability in exposition architecture. Literary cafés, Belgian–Japanese music collaborations, and ongoing cultural programming kept the Pavilion buzzing throughout the week.

Innovation & International Collaboration

Wallonia Week also underscored international engagement:

• The Wallonia Science & Innovation Days highlighted the region’s excellence in life sciences, digital health, and AI in medicine.

• Japanese–Belgian dialogues explored collaboration in aging societies, smart health systems, and inclusive technologies.

• The Japon 5.0 mission, organized by AWEX and Digital Wallonia, fostered connections between industrial, digital, and academic actors, paving the way for future technological and trade partnerships with Japan.

The week was backed by high-level leadership, including the Ministers-Presidents of Wallonia and the Federation Wallonia-Brussels, with active involvement from WBI and AWEX, ensuring a strong impact both culturally and economically.

Vision & Impact

Wallonia Week successfully demonstrated how Wallonia combines creativity, science, and sustainable development. It offered a platform to:

• Showcase a vision where technology serves humanity, aligning with Expo 2025’s themes

• Support the internationalization of Walloon creative, academic, and industrial actors

• Cultivate long-term Belgian–Japanese partnerships in culture, research, and commerce