Catalan Week kicks off at the Spanish Pavilion at Expo Osaka 2025

Catalonia kicks off its participation in the Osaka World Expo this Tuesday with the launch of Catalonia Week, which will run until June 1.

Under the slogan "Catalonia, land of innovation and avant-garde," the country presents itself in Japan and around the world as a benchmark in creativity, science, culture, and gastronomy.

The Catalan program unfolds with an intense and diverse schedule of activities spread across the Plaza del Sol, the Gastronomic Space, and the Multipurpose Room.

Today, Tuesday, a discussion will be held on the bridges between Catalonia and Japan, with the participation of the Minister of the European Union and Foreign Affairs, Jaume Duch, and Catalan and Japanese figures with professional ties to both territories.

The event, moderated by the Government's delegate in Japan, Mònica Castellà, will highlight the Catalan talent residing in Japan, as well as the Japanese who have ties to Catalonia in diverse fields, such as culture, business, and research.

Technological innovation will also play a key role during the week, with activities focused on artificial intelligence and its ethical and creative application. On the one hand, the DETA Alliance (Disruptive and Emerging Technologies Alliance) will present the "Manifesto for Advancing Trustworthy AI," promoted by fifteen regional governments from around the world and led by the Observatory of Ethics in Artificial Intelligence of Catalonia.

Following this, at the event "Catalonia, a new view of the Earth from space," Dr. Jordi Corbera and Marc Torres, from the Cartographic and Geological Institute of Catalonia, will present Catalan space missions in a fun and entertaining way, linking them to contemporary artistic projects.

In addition, throughout the event, attendees will be able to participate in innovative workshops exploring the relationship between AI and emotions, such as a technological demonstration of art generated through emotion detection or the ENAKD (Emotionally, Electronically Naked) project, which translates brain waves into images and haikus—short Japanese poems—with the help of AI.

Catalonia's Day of Honor

Wednesday, May 28th, will be a day of special significance, with Catalonia's Day of Honor. The President of the Generalitat (Catalan Government), Salvador Illa, will visit the exhibition, offer a reception, and participate in the week's official event, which will include institutional speeches, the screening of a video presenting the country, and a performance by the Catalan rumba group Muchacho & Los Sobrinos.

Indeed, culture will be one of the main attractions of this international event, with concerts by Aranese artist Alidé Sans, dance performances by Pere Seda and the Wonderground company, workshops organized by the Fundació Joan Miró, and entertainment by clown Pere Hosta.

Gastronomy will also be one of the focuses of the main event on Wednesday, thanks to chefs Carme Ruscalleda and Joan Roca, who will discuss Catalonia's contribution to gastronomic innovation on the occasion of Catalonia's recognition as a World Region of Gastronomy this year.

Catalan cuisine will also be present throughout the rest of the week, with workshops led by chef Josep Barahona, a pioneer in presenting Catalan cuisine in Japan, and wine tastings by sommelier Óscar Salmerón. This Tuesday, both activities will be combined in a special edition, featuring the participation of Japanese influencer Emika Kamieda, who is linked to Catalonia.

The Catalonia exhibition program will also feature various audiovisual presentations on the Catalan language, architecture, digital innovation, and sports, with the participation of FC Barcelona.

A national project

Catalonia Week in Osaka is the result of the collaborative work of various departments of the Generalitat (Catalan Government), including the Presidency; the European Union and Foreign Affairs; Business and Labor; Health; Culture; Research and Universities; Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food; and Language Policy, as well as the Barcelona City Council.

The Catalan participation is part of the program for the Spanish pavilion, which provides space for the autonomous communities to showcase their work at the Universal Exposition, which this year is being held under the theme "Designing the society of the future for our lives."

In fact, the pavilion itself boasts a significant Catalan presence right from its main façade, dominated by a grand ceramic staircase crafted by the company Cumella, responsible for some of the pieces in the Sagrada Familia and the Santa Caterina Market in Barcelona.

To date, some 650,000 people a day have passed through this pavilion, designed by the studios Néstor Montenegro, Enorme Studio, and Smart and Green Design.