Polish culture in the heart of Osaka: the autumn edition of the Po!land ポ！ランド programme at EXPO 2025
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.
The second part of the programme is approaching: at the beginning of October, the Polish-Japanese music festival Sound Culture will take place in the heart of Osaka, featuring performances by Klawo, Małe Instrumenty, Mitch & Mitch, Kinga Głyk, as well as a concert tour by Sinfonia Varsovia with the legendary pianist Martha Argerich in the major concert halls of Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, and Kyoto. Simultaneously, Knowledge Capital will open the Japanese version of “The Amazing Land of Quarks, Elephants and Pierogi” exhibition, inspired by the best-selling book about the Polish language. This project serves as an innovative cultural bridge and an invitation to explore Polish culture more deeply.
EXPO 2025 Osaka: Polish culture and innovation on the world stage in Japan
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. The Polish Investment and Trade Agency is responsible for Poland’s participation in EXPO 2025. The main venue for Poland’s presentation is the national pavilion, covering nearly 1,000 m², with promotional activities carried out 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 – a chemical 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.
Autumn edition of the Po!land ポ！ランド cultural programme at EXPO 2025
The autumn programme will feature 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.
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
Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, and Kyoto
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
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”.
