HATA Yoshio: Miracle Forest EXPO ’70

We are pleased to announce the HATA Yoshio’s solo exhibition Miracle Forest EXPO‘70 at The Third Gallery Aya from October 10th to November 2nd.
The 1970 World Expo was held in Osaka. Next year 2025, exactly 55 years later, another World Expo is to be held in the same city. The site, which was carved out of the Senri Hills, now retains only a few traces of that time—such as the Japanese Garden, Taro Okamoto’s Tower of the Sun, and the Japan Folk Crafts Museum.
HATA Yoshio photographed the “Expo Forest,” a man-made woodland that has grown on the former pavilion grounds. We will be surprised by the diverse flora and fauna that have thrived over the past 55 years. He also tries to analyze the reason for such an exuberance of a man-made forest. This work must be the latest example of documentary photography. The fact that the World Expo, a symbol of industrial society, has offered a regenerated forest within the urban area after 55 years gives us hope for the future in these complex modern times.

Artist Statement｜

EXPO ’70 Osaka was a national event that demonstrated to the world Japan’s rise as an economic power after emerging from the ruins of the immediate postwar period. With the theme of “Progress and Harmony for Mankind,” it was a festival that highlighted cutting-edge science and technology and celebrated the equality of all people.

Almost all the pavilions, which were iconic symbols of the Expo, were dismantled after the 183-day event, leaving only the yellow soil of a barren vacant lot. Initially, the plan was to develop a business center there, but public opinion was critical of the festival’s focus on economic growth, which had led to the destruction of the natural environment and satoyama (lit. “village-mountains,” a Japanese term applied to the border zone or area between mountain foothills and arable flat land) in the name of development. This sense of disillusionment fueled a movement to restore nature at the Expo site, leading to the creation of a forest.

Over the past 50 years, the initially fragile human-cultivated forest has grown and transformed into a dense, vibrant woodland where people can enjoy the changing seasons and find a peaceful retreat. The regeneration of this forest in the midst of a city is a unique and remarkable achievement, embodying the contemporary concept of nature positivity (conservation and restoration of nature).

The call to “protect and create forests” aligns with the SDG of the Sustainable Development Goals set forth by the United Nations, and addresses 21st-century challenges like global warming and biodiversity loss. Today, the conservation of existing forests alone is insufficient to meet urgent environmental needs. Creating new forests is vital for restoring nature and achieving harmony between humanity and the earth, ensuring a sustainable future.

However, creating forests is a long-term endeavor that requires patience and continuous effort. I hope that the publication of the photo book Miracle Forest EXPO ’70, marking its 50th anniversary, will inspire and encourage those involved in nature conservation and restoration projects.