AKP Phnom Penh, April 17, 2025 —

The Bulgarian pavilion at the EXPO 2025 in Osaka, Japan officially opened on Sunday. The ribbon cutting ceremony was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Innovation and Growth Tomislav Donchev, Ambassador of Bulgaria to Japan Marieta Arabadjieva and Bulgarian Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion Agency Executive Director Boyko Takov.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Innovation and Growth Tomislav Donchev told the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) that the pavilion is attracting great interest and stressed that the teams involved in the preparation of the Bulgarian pavilion have done well. "We expect no less than 750 people to visit the Bulgarian pavilion on the first day alone. We expect no less than 180,000 people to pass by here within the six months during Osaka EXPO 2025," Donchev added. 

Bulgarian Ambassador to Japan Marieta Arabadjieva told BTA that the pavilion showcases the history and place of this country in the modern digital world. "The Bulgarian pavilion presents the history of our country through pictures - video and new technologies. Bulgarian culture, Bulgarian traditions, Bulgarian history will be voiced in our pavilion. Bulgaria's place in today's digital world as a country, a source of innovation, technology, artificial intelligence will also be showcased," she said.

On the first day of the expo, architect Sou Fujimoto, who designed the large wooden ring around the expo grounds which has become one of its symbols, praised Bulgaria. In a post on the social network X he wrote “Simple and beautiful”. His post was accompanied by a photo of the pavilion.

The Bulgarian pavilion was executed by one of the largest construction companies in Japan - DAIWA LEASE CO. LTD. designed by arch. Hiroto Kobayashi - Professor of Architecture at Keio University, who also attended Saturday's event. The company was selected after a competition. The pavilion covers an area of 376 square meters and is located on a 900 square meter plot. Eco-friendly materials such as wood and textiles were used for its construction. After the exhibition, every part of the pavilion will be recycled or reused.

The interior design is the work of a Bulgarian conceptual team consisting of Mariya Gospodinova, an architect with international experience, Iskren Krastev - an entrepreneur, expert in building ecosystems, and MP-STUDIO - one of the pioneers in the field of light art in Europe, creators and organizers of the LUNAR Festival of Lights. The team has created a space that presents Bulgaria with its history and culture, scientific achievements, but at the same time reveals its entrepreneurial spirit and vision for the future.

AKP-BTA