On 13 April, the EXPO 2025 World Exhibition – the largest and most important cultural and economic event in the world – opened in Osaka. Poland’s participation is accompanied by a cultural programme organised by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute under the slogan Po!land ポ！ランド, which extends beyond the national pavilion to the very heart of the city.
Developed in collaboration with Polish and Japanese artists, the programme includes: an exhibition by Yuriko Sasaoka dedicated to Maria Skłodowska-Curie, a presentation of Joanna Hawrot’s designs inspired by traditional Japanese court attire, a Polish-Japanese music festival featuring Klawo, Małe Instrumenty, Mitch & Mitch, and Kinga Głyk, large-format works by Róża Litwa and Edyta Hul displayed in the city of Ibaraki, and a concert tour by Sinfonia Varsovia in the most prestigious concert halls of Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, and Kyoto.
During the six-month EXPO 2025 World Exhibition in Osaka, more than 160 countries and regions will showcase their offer in the fields of economy, tourism, and culture. The event is expected to attract over 28 million visitors from around the world. Poland’s participation in EXPO 2025 is coordinated by the Polish Investment and Trade Agency, which is organising the programme in the Polish Pavilion under the slogan “Heritage that drives the future”. The Adam Mickiewicz Institute, with the support of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, is responsible for the cultural programme accompanying Poland’s presence at the Exhibition.
Po!land ポ！ランド – the slogan of the cultural programme organised by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute – is inspired by the Japanese onomatopoeia “Po!”, which expresses a moment of revelation and joyful surprise. This joyful “Po!” also alludes to polonium – an element discovered by Maria Skłodowska-Curie and symbolising innovativeness, science, and transgressing borders. Juxtaposed with “ランド” (rando), borrowed from the English “land”, Po!land becomes a space for exchanging ideas, meeting of cultures, and mutual inspirations.
— We care about meeting the city and its inhabitants – we want the Polish culture presented there to become a part of the urban fabric of Osaka, resonating with its rhythm, history and energy. We create a space in which Polish artists enter into a dialogue with the local community, are inspired by its perspective and together discover new meanings – in art, science, and the everyday life of the city – says Olga Wysocka, director of the Adam Mickiewicz Institute.
From 30 March, the exhibition “Nohara no ue de – On the field” will be on display in the city of Ibaraki. This is the first edition of the SOU #15 project, in which Japanese curators invited Polish artists Edyta Hul and Róża Litwa to collaborate. Large-format prints of the artists’ works, reaching a height of 2.5 metres, will fill the space of the train station, becoming an unusual element of the everyday landscape.
From 31 May, at the prestigious Daimaru Shinsaibashi department store, the exhibition “Wearable Art – Unseen Threads” by Joanna Hawrot will be available to viewers. It is a spectacular installation stretching across eight storeys and consisting of fashion items, tapestries, and new media. The project combines Polish tapestry tradition with Japanese aesthetics, thus creating an intercultural narrative on identity and visibility.
In June, a project of one of the most interesting Japanese artists of the young generation – Yuriko Sasaoki - will be presented at the Osaka City Central Public Hall. An installation “Polonia x Skłodowska-Curie’s Magic Lab. The Power of Migration”, prepared in collaboration with Polish creators, retells the story of Maria Skłodowska-Curie – not as a scientific icon, but as a migrant, mother, social activist, and researcher whose life and work extended beyond the boundaries of laboratories.
The programme will also include concerts of Polish jazz and alternative music. This autumn, the vibrant Namba Square – one of Osaka’s central points – will host performances by Klawo, Kinga Głyk, Małe Instrumenty, and Mitch & Mitch, along with invited Japanese artists.
In October, Sinfonia Varsovia will go on a tour of Japan, during which it will play eight concerts in the most prestigious concert halls of Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, and Kyoto. The orchestra will perform under the baton of maestro Christian Arming and will present a programme focused on Fryderyk Chopin.
Below you will find a detailed programme of the events.
- 30 March – 27 September: Exhibition “SOU #15 Nohara no ue de – On the field” (Japanese: “SOU #15 野原の上で – On the field”), JR Sōjiji Station, Ibaraki
An exhibition presenting the work of two young artists from Warsaw – Edyta Hul and Róża Litwa. The works of both artists were scaled to a height of 2.5 metres and presented as large-format prints in the public space of the JR Sōjiji Station in Ibaraki City. Their location on the station walls allows for direct contact with art in the space of everyday urban traffic.
The title of the exhibition – “Nohara no ue de” – refers to the Japanese word “nohara”, meaning wild meadow. This reference indicates both inspiration from Japanese culture and a symbolic context of growth – both artistic and cultural. The exhibition is part of the SOU series, implemented by One Art Project since 2018, whose aim is to present contemporary art in public space.
Artists: Edyta Hul, Róża Litwa, Co-organisers: Adam Mickiewicz Institute, One Art Project, Ibaraki City
- 31 May – 24 June: Exhibition “Joanna Hawrot: Wearable Art – Unseen Threads”, Daimaru Shinsaibashi, Osaka
At the prestigious Daimaru Shinsaibashi department store, being one of the historical symbols of the Kansai region, an exhibition of Joanna Hawrot – a project at the borderline of fashion, art, and narrative about contemporary identity – will be presented. It will feature original artefacts and tapestries alluding to the works of Magdalena Abakanowicz, Wojciech Sadley, and Angelika Markul. The project draws on the legacy of the Polish School of Textile Art, whose creators demonstrated that textiles can be just as expressive as painting or sculpture.
The artist selected 12 women from Poland and Japan and reproduced their personal histories in her creations. The result is twelve unique outfits inspired by jūnihitoe (literally “twelve layers”) – a traditional court attire from the Heian period. The artist invited elderly, transsexual, and socially excluded persons to collaborate, thus drawing attention to groups that are rarely represented in the world of fashion. Concealed in a fabric, personal experiences of participants form a polyphonic narrative on what is visible and what is hidden – both in fashion and in culture.
Artist: Joanna Hawrot, Curatorial team: Paweł Pachciarek, Joanna Hawrot, Fabric designs, objects: Joanna Hawrot, Photographs/Videos: Zuza Krajewska, Sculpture: Angelika Markul, Exhibition Architecture: Ania Witko, Content consultations: Marcin Różyc (CMWŁ), Partner: Central Museum of Textiles in Łódź, Cooperation: DAIMARU Shinsaibashi
- 14 June – 5 July 2025: Exhibition “Yuriko Sasaoki: Polonia x Skłodowska-Curie’s Magic Lab – The Power of Migration”, Osaka City Central Public Hall
Maria Skłodowska-Curie is a well-known figure in Japan. Her biography is required reading in schools, and she has had a huge influence on Japanese education and culture. In her project, Yuriko Sasaoka, in collaboration with Polish artists Daniel Koniusz and Tomasz Koszewnik, breaks the traditional, “monumental” image of Skłodowska-Curie. It shows her as a multi-dimensional character – a migrant, a social activist, and a woman who was ahead of her time. The symbolic break with the title “Madame Curie” (Curie Fujin), which is still used in Japan, aims to restore her full subjectivity and show her as a person who consciously crosses boundaries – not only scientific and political boundaries, but also cultural and symbolic ones.
The term “Polonia” in the title of the exhibition refers both to the chemical element discovered by Skłodowska-Curie and to the Polish diaspora, understood as a creative force that transcends physical and ideological boundaries. Migration here becomes a metaphor for the flow of ideas, identity, and history. Sasaoka’s multi-dimensional installation combines historical elements with the artist’s personal experience. The work, informed by travel to Poland and engagement with local cultural contexts, juxtaposes the biography of Maria Skłodowska-Curie with Sasaoka’s personal experiences, transforming science into a personal, corporeal, and social experience.
Artist: Yuriko Sasaoka, Curator: Paweł Pachciarek, Photographs/Videos: Tomasz Koszewnik, Sound: Daniel Koniusz, Cooperation: E-Design, PHD Group, Tama Plants, Partners: Maria Skłodowska-Curie Museum in Warsaw, Fundacja Rozwoju Edukacji dla Przemysłu, City of Osaka.
- 28 June – 13 July: Exhibition “SOU #15 Nohara no ue de – On the field” (Japanese: “野原の上で – On the field”), Fukushi Bunka Kaikan, Ibaraki
The second edition of the SOU15 project, this time presented in the space of The exhibition accompanies the exposition of large-format works by Edyta Hul and Róża Litwa at the JR Sōjiji Station in Ibaraki and expands the Polish-Japanese artistic dialogue to include new contexts.
“Real SOU” will showcase the works of two Polish artists – Edyta Hul and Róża Litwa – and two Japanese artists – Chie Matsui and Nana Kuromiya. Their work focuses on themes related to memory, identity, the individual’s relationship with the world and transience. The juxtaposition of different artistic approaches allows us to see both the differences resulting from different cultural experiences and the common points – especially from a female perspective.
The exhibition was created in collaboration with One Art Project and is part of SOU’s long-term series presenting contemporary art in Ibaraki’s public and gallery spaces since 2018.
Artists: Edyta Hul, Róża Litwa, Chie Matsui, Nana Kuromiya, Co-organisers: Adam Mickiewicz Institute, One Art Project, Ibaraki City, Concept and execution: One Art Project
Partner: Polish Investment and Trade Agency, Content consultation: Paweł Pachciarek (AMI), Akiko Kasuya.
- 4–5 October 2025: “Sound Culture: Poland x Japan Music Festival”, Namba Square, Osaka
This autumn, the vibrant Namba Square in the centre of Osaka will host a series of concerts showcasing the Polish alternative and jazz music scene. Polish artists representing various trends in alternative music will perform with Japanese musicians, creating unique artistic combinations.
The programme includes: Klawo, a band inspired by retro soul and funk, renowned bass guitar virtuoso Kinga Głyk, and Małe Instrumenty – an experimental band that will interpret the works of Fryderyk Chopin in an innovative way. The unpredictable collective Mitch and Mitch will also appear on stage to present their latest project inspired by the work of Ennio Morricone and a special programme prepared for this event.
The festival will make an opportunity to establish a musical dialogue between Poland and Japan, as well as to present unconventional, innovative, and energetic side of Polish musical scene. The band Małe Instrumenty will host musical workshops drawing the works of Frederic Chopin closer to the public through playing them on a toy piano.
Artists: Klawo, Kinga Głyk, Małe Instrumenty, Mitch & Mitch
- 3–23 October 2025: Exhibition “The Amazing Land of Quarks, Elephants and Pierogi”, Knowledge Capital, Osaka
The exhibition “The Amazing Land of Quarks, Elephants and Pierogi” is the result of many years of work by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute to promote Polish culture and language in Japan. The starting point for the project was the Japanese edition of the bestselling book “Quarks, Elephants & Pierogi: Poland in 100 Words”, enriched with local context and visuals. This is the only book in Japanese about the Polish language. It consists of a series of one hundred articles, each referring to one Polish word, e.g. Love, Name Day, Mother, Science, Freedom, Intelligence, etc. Each word is accompanied by an intriguing illustration by Magdalena Burdzyńska.
The exhibition, organised in cooperation with the Japanese Knowledge Capital Association and XOOMS, additionally introduces interactive elements and new technologies – including solutions based on artificial intelligence. It is not only a presentation of the book, but also of the entire “QEP” universe, combining language education with modern design and multimedia content.
An integral part of the exhibition will be a Japanese literary component, showing the connections between the cultures of Poland and Japan – both historical and contemporary. The project serves as an original cultural bridge and an invitation to further explore the Polish language and culture.
Visual concept, graphic design and illustrations, arrangement: Magdalena Burdzyńska, Partner: Knowledge Capital Association in Osaka
- 4–12 October 2025: Sinfonia Varsovia concert tour in Japan
Sinfonia Varsovia, a renowned Polish orchestra with a worldwide reputation, will embark on a unique artistic journey to Japan, presenting a series of concerts accompanying Poland’s participation in the EXPO 2025 World Exhibition. The tour will include seven performances at the most prestigious concert halls in Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, and Kyoto.
The core of the repertoire will be the piano concertos of Fryderyk Chopin, whose work has almost cult status in Japan. In addition to Chopin’s works, the audience will also hear compositions by Ignacy Jan Paderewski, Beethoven, Mozart, and Dvořák – a repertoire combining Polish musical sensitivity with the universal language of classical music.
The uniqueness of the project is emphasised by Sinfonia Varsovia’s collaboration with international soloists, including the legendary pianist Martha Argerich and virtuoso Ivo Pogorelić, who will perform alongside young Japanese virtuosos – Aimi Kobayashi and Kyohei Sorita, known for their participation in the Chopin Competitions. The orchestra will perform under the baton of Austrian maestro Christian Arming.
Conductor: Christian Arming, Soloists: Martha Argerich, Ivo Pogorelić, Aimi Kobayashi, Kyohei Sorita, Partner: Sinfonia Varsovia
- 8 April – 22 June 2025: Kōji Kamoji’s Exhibition: Don’t Let the Unnecessary Overshadow the Whole / 不必要なもので全体が混乱しないように), Watari Museum of Contemporary Art WATARI-UM
Parallel to events taking place in relation to the World Exposition EXPO, Polish culture will also be hosted in Tokyo. The first retrospective exhibition of Koji Kamoji in Japan is a unique opportunity to become acquainted with the work of one of the most important Polish contemporary artists. A retrospective exhibition comprises Kamoji’s works stretching from the 1960s to most recent creations, presenting minimalist works of art inspired by zen philosophy and the idea of simplicity and harmony. The event is co-organised by Zachęta National Gallery of Art and Adam Mickiewicz Institute. The communication partner of the exhibition is the Polish Investment and Trade Agency.
The programme of promotion of Polish culture in Japan during the EXPO 2025 World Exhibition in Osaka, organised by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute under the slogan Po!land ポ！ランド and financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, is part of the programme of Poland’s participation in the EXPO 2025 World Exhibition in Osaka, Kansai organised by the Polish Investment and Trade Agency under the slogan “Heritage that drives the future”.
The Adam Mickiewicz Institute (AMI) brings Polish culture to people around the world. Being a state institution, it creates lasting interest in Polish culture and art through strengthening the presence of Polish artists on the global stage. It initiates innovative projects, supports international cooperation and cultural exchanges. It promotes the work of both established and promising artists, showing the diversity and richness of our culture. The Adam Mickiewicz Institute is also responsible for the Culture.pl website, a comprehensive source of knowledge about Polish culture.
More information: www.iam.pl.
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