Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai closed its gates on 13 October 2025 after six months during which it recorded more than 29 million visits and brought together 158 countries and regions, along with seven international organisations, around the theme of “Designing Future Society for Our Lives”. As the first anniversary of the Expo’s closing is marked and initiatives to carry its legacy forward take shape, the Chairman of the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition, Masakazu Tokura, reflects on the moments that moved him most, the values of “life” and “connections” at the heart of the Expo, and the lessons Japan can share with future Expos.