The facade and equipment of Panasonic Group’s Expo 2025 pavilion “Nomo no Kuni” will be used again at the GREEN×EXPO 2027 venue, in “Yasashiku Naritai. STUDIO.” Toho Leo is developing the building as one of the Village pavilions, and its theme is “eight-year-old adults.”
What “Yasashiku Naritai. STUDIO” is
The GREEN×EXPO Association, which runs the venue, lists “Yasashiku Naritai. STUDIO” as one of its 12 Village pavilions. Its formal name is the 2027 Japan International Horticultural Expo Association. The association’s page says the building reuses “Nomo no Kuni” and gives the theme as “eight-year-old adults,” alongside the line “we want everyone, adults and children alike, to become kinder.”
According to Toho Leo’s dedicated site, the grand opening is planned for 19 March 2027. Toho Leo is building it in the “Urban GX Village” area of the Village exhibits.
Reusing Panasonic’s “Nomo no Kuni”
Toho Leo and Panasonic Holdings each issued announcements on 29 July 2025. Both said that Nomo no Kuni’s facade (roughly 736 steel-frame pieces), 40 lights, 12 speakers and mist equipment would be reused in the STUDIO (then called “STUDIO, tentative name”) that Toho Leo is building within Urban GX Village. The facade was designed by architect Yuko Nagayama.
On 4 September 2025, Panasonic Group announced that, following Nomo no Kuni’s closure, it had achieved over 99% reuse and recycling by weight of building materials such as recycled steel, copper, the facade frames and exterior paving blocks.
On 22 December 2025, Panasonic Group also announced the destinations it had chosen for the pavilion’s exhibits, which more than 470,000 visitors had experienced: airports, local governments, schools and other facilities. That was a separate effort from the facade reuse, and the STUDIO is not among the destinations.
Architectural concept
According to Toho Leo’s dedicated site, the STUDIO’s concept is “softness over strength, sharing over ownership, growing over completion.” The site describes a woven structure of flexible line materials with climbing plants trained over it, so that its appearance changes over time as the foliage fills in.
The STUDIO shares its philosophy with “Yasashiku Naritai,” a project by the magazine AERA (Asahi Shimbun Publications) and producer Kaido Koyama. Koyama is the project’s special organiser. Specific exhibits or activities planned inside the building have not been announced as of September 2026.
University partnerships
On 25 May 2026, Toho Leo announced that it was launching a “regional co-creation programme” with Japan GX Group and the Hosome Cross-University Laboratory. The programme is based at the STUDIO and aims to connect local natural capital to policy, business and citizen participation. Toho Leo president Minoru Yoshikawa, Japan GX Group co-representative Kenji Yoshioka and Hosome Cross-University Laboratory representative Keisuke Hosome each issued comments. According to Toho Leo’s dedicated site, a kickoff event was held on 27 May 2026.
Kyoto Sangyo University announced on 19 June 2026 that it would collaborate with Toho Leo’s Village pavilion “Yasashiku Naritai. STUDIO.” The exhibit is led by its Faculty of Life Sciences (to be renamed the Faculty of Environmental Life Sciences in April 2027) together with several other faculties. Its theme is dialogue with nature. A special exhibit inside the STUDIO is planned for 7 to 20 August 2027, and a separate indoor exhibition booth on flowers and greenery for 7 to 15 August 2027. Students are also set to take part in preparing and running the exhibits.
Timeline of announcements
| Date | Announcement |
|---|---|
| 29 July 2025 | Toho Leo and Panasonic Group announce the reuse of Nomo no Kuni’s facade and equipment |
| 4 September 2025 | Panasonic Group announces over 99% reuse and recycling of Nomo no Kuni’s building materials |
| 22 December 2025 | Panasonic Group announces destinations for Nomo no Kuni’s exhibits (airports, local governments, schools and other facilities) |
| 25 May 2026 | Toho Leo, Japan GX Group and the Hosome Cross-University Laboratory announce a regional co-creation programme |
| 27 May 2026 | Kickoff event held (per Toho Leo’s dedicated site) |
| 19 June 2026 | Kyoto Sangyo University announces its exhibit collaboration with the STUDIO |
| 19 March 2027 | Grand opening planned (per Toho Leo’s dedicated site) |
Because Panasonic announced the building’s reuse and the exhibits’ relocation separately, it is clear that only the exterior and equipment are going to the STUDIO. Since May 2026, the announcements have turned to partnerships with universities and companies.
Our take
We think the STUDIO is planned as an ongoing project: a reused building plus a regional co-creation programme with universities and companies. Kyoto Sangyo University’s arrangement, exhibiting for only part of the run (August 2027), could be a model other Village pavilions follow too.
If you saw the original in Osaka, you should recognise the exterior at a glance, so this carry-over from Expo 2025 is easy to spot. Our feature page From Expo 2025 covers what else is carrying over.
For the full pavilion lineup, see our feature page Pavilions.