Symbolised by the concept of ‘one sky’, the venue creates a sense of unity.

The Grand Ring, a symbol of the World Expo 2025 – scheduled to take place in Osaka, Japan, next year – will be one of the largest wooden structures on earth. Much of the material going into this massive construction comes from lumber harvested in coastal Fukushima Prefecture, hit hard by the March 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster.

The Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition announced in August 2024 that the wooden structure of the Grand Ring was completed with the installation of the sky walk ramps, connecting the entire 2-km circumference into one complete ring.

The Grand Ring, conceived by architect Fujimoto Sou, the expo site designer, is the symbol of the venue that represents its philosophy of ‘Unity in Diversity.’ Assembly began on June 30, 2023, and construction has been progressing ever since.

Work will continue towards the opening of the Expo in April 2025, including the installation of elevators, escalators, and rooftop greenery. It measures 20 metres high and 2 km in circumference.

Another large portion of the wood is locally constructed glue-laminated mass timber products. Of the 27,000 cubic metres of wood, 4,500 cubic metres of glulam was supplied by Woodcore, a company based in Namie, Fukushima.

The meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station triggered by the massive 2011 earthquake and tsunami hit the neighbouring town hard, forcing all residents to evacuate.

The Grand Ring represents ‘Unity in Diversity’.

Woodcore was established in 2018, in a partnership between Namie-based Asada Timber and Tōju Sangyō, a laminate manufacturer based in Kōriyama, also in Fukushima.

Woodcore has been contracted to operate the Fukushima Laminated-Timber Advanced Manufacturing Center (FLAM), which was opened by the Namie government, and is the most advanced facility of its type in Japan.

The Grand Ring is constructed using modern construction methods in addition to the traditional timber joints used in the construction of Japanese shrines and temples.

It will be used as the main route of flow around the venue, providing smooth movement for crowds as well as a comfortable space to stay out of the rain, wind and sun.

From the rooftop of the Grand Ring, the entire venue can be viewed from various points, and if you look outside the ring, visitors can enjoy the charms of the Expo site surrounded by sea and sky, such as the rich nature of the Seto inland Sea, the spectacle of the setting sun, and the city of Osaka.

•        Timber used: (domestic) Japanese cedar and Japanese cypress; (foreign) Scots Pine.

•        Building area: approximately 60,000 cubic metres.

•        Diameter: (inner) approx. 615 metres, (outer) approx. 675 metres.

•        Width: 30 metres.

•        Height: 12 metres

•        External height (height of skywalk that visitors can walk on): 20 metres.

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