Panasonic Group completes Pavilion “The Land of NOMO” for Expo 2025

The construction of “The Land of NOMO” began in July 2023, utilizing recycled materials such as iron, copper, and glass collected from used home appliances. Recycled iron accounts for approximately 98% (97.1 tons) of the main columns and beams, recycled copper amounts to approximately 1.2 tons used in the main trunk cables, and recycled glass from around 9,200 drum-type washer-dryers was used for exterior paving blocks.
The building construction excluding the facade membrane was completed in August 2024, followed by interior and exhibition work. By the end of January 2025, the facade membrane was installed on 730 facade frames (out of a total of 1,404 frames), completing the pavilion's exterior.
Outdoors, a prototype of a “glass-type perovskite solar cell” designed by artist Kaede Wajima, in collaboration with HERALBONY Co., Ltd., which handles many projects that decorate cities with art by artists with disabilities, is on display. The interior, exhibitions, and various content installations were finished in early February, marking the completion of all construction work.

Wandering through The Land of NOMO

Children who wander into the “The Land of NOMO” have their senses sharpened cross-modally through three-dimensional sound, visuals, and vibrations, allowing them to fully perceive the world of “wind, water, light, and life”—elements they usually take for granted—beginning their Unlock experience.
Technology based on “Space Tune™” is utilized to adjust the optimal sound quality according to the room's setup. A 23.4-channel 3D sound system composed of high-quality Technics speakers, along with high-brightness projectors, vibrations, and visuals, the experience stimulates the five senses and awakens sensations that participants are not usually aware of.

Exploring the Unknown World

Children who step into the “NOMO Forest” discover “crystals.” A beautiful forest full of life and energy unfolds before them, allowing them to explore the unknown world guided by their own sensibilities (mind). When they hold up the crystals, the forest responds with light, sound, and wind, reacting to the children's sensibilities.
In ZONE2, each participant carries a “crystal device” embedded with a wireless tag (RFID) and freely explores the exhibition space. When the “crystal device” is held up to exhibits representing rocks and trees, they respond with sound and light. Six cameras are installed to analyze the participants' actions based on the information from the wireless tags and cameras.

Releasing Butterflies from Crystals

When you peer into the ancient trees, the sensibilities and potential of each individual are depicted, and eventually, butterflies are released from the crystals, guiding the children beyond the Mist Waterfall.

In the exhibition space, 17 ancient trees each contain transparent OLED displays and four cameras for facial expression analysis. When participants peer into the ancient trees, their expressions are analyzed, and the behavioral data from ZONE2 is analyzed using a “sensibility model.” This results in the display of visuals reflecting the individuality and characteristics of each child, and unique “butterflies” of different “colors” and “shapes” are born, leading them to the next experience.

Taking a Courageous Step Forward

Guided by their own unique “butterflies” released from the crystals, children follow them and encounter the “Mist Waterfall,” which projects giant images into the air. The children gather their courage and take a step forward.

Using ultra-fine mist created by dual-fluid nozzles, a waterfall-like mist screen measuring 7 meters wide and 3.5 meters high is produced. High-brightness projectors display images of “butterflies” and other visuals onto this mist screen.

Butterflies flap their wings and resonate with as one

When you muster the courage to pass through the Mist Waterfall, a new world unfolds before you. The butterflies released by each child in ZONE3 ride the wind created by the children, producing sound and eventually resonating with the surrounding butterflies. This creates a large energy that causes mist rings to descend from the sky, and the butterflies eventually soar into the great sky.

ZONE4 is a dynamic immersive theater where images are projected in a 360° space by 21 high-brightness projectors, and sound and visuals interact three-dimensionally. When participants hold their crystal devices to the designated spots and use a “leaf-like fan device” to create wind, butterflies are born on the floor and produce various sounds as they flap their wings into the great sky. The separate sounds eventually form a harmony, creating music, while vortex rings (mist rings) with a diameter of 1.3 meters are projected from five points on the ceiling, creating an immersive space.