Expo ’70 Commemorative Park

The Japan World Exposition Commemorative Park is a park in Suita City, Osaka Prefecture, developed on the former site of Expo ’70 (the Japan World Exposition) to commemorate its success in 1970. Commonly known as Expo Commemoration Park, it covers about 260 hectares—roughly 65 times the size of Koshien Stadium. The park features landmarks and facilities such as the Tower of the Sun, the Nature Observation and Learning Center, and the EXPO ’70 Pavilion. The Tower of the Sun, a work by Taro Okamoto and an iconic symbol of the exposition, was designated for permanent preservation in 1975, five years after the expo closed. Standing about 70 meters tall, its central sun motif represents the present, the golden face at the top symbolizes the future, and the black sun on the back represents the past. The park also includes a Japanese garden and the Natural and Cultural Gardens—selected among Japan’s Top 100 Cherry Blossom Spots—offering lush nature throughout the seasons. In addition, it is home to the National Museum of Ethnology, which collects and exhibits materials and information on peoples around the world, as well as “Banpaku O-yuba,” a hot-spring facility with large open-air baths and saunas.