Sri Lanka and AKD shine at Expo 2025 Osaka

President Anura 

Kumara Disanayake 

President Disanayake tours Sri Lanka Pavilion at Expo 2025 in Osaka

Minister in-charge of the World Expo 2025 

Ito Yoshitaka

• At National Day ceremony, President Disanayake says SL faced continuous challenges; now rebuilding sustainable and inclusive economy
• Insists prosperity will ensure improved quality of life for every citizen
• Japan still recalls 1951 noble gesture by then-President JR

By Nisthar Cassim 

in Osaka

Sri Lanka and President Anura Kumara Disanayake emerged as key highlights on Saturday at the Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan, reminiscing the close friendship and renewing strong bilateral ties.

Drawing over 18 million people since its opening in mid-April, Expo 2025 saw the celebration of Sri Lanka Day on Saturday, with President Disanayake as the Chief Guest.

The Sri Lanka Pavilion located at Common Hall A showcased culture, tradition, gems, tea, spices, and tourism, among others. It has drawn thousands of visitors daily, mainly Japanese. 

Japan’s Minister in charge of the World Expo 2025 Ito Yoshitaka accompanied President Disanayake’s visit to the Sri Lanka Pavilion.

Foreign Employment and Tourism Minister Vijitha Herath, Japanese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Akio Isomata, Sri Lankan Ambassador in Japan Professor Pivithuru Janak Kumarasinghe, and senior officials from the Japanese Foreign Affairs Ministry also joined this occasion.

In his address at the Sri Lanka National Day celebrations, President Disanayake noted that Expo 2025 provides Sri Lanka with a global platform to share its vision for a bright future, grounded in its culture, innovation, and human values.

Highlighting the longstanding friendship between Japan and Sri Lanka, the President emphasised that Japan remains a close partner, offering support during difficult times and joining in the celebration of successes during prosperous periods.

The Sri Lanka Day celebrations were organised jointly by the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) and the Sri Lankan Embassy in Japan. It showcased a variety of cultural performances reflecting the Sri Lankan identity. The cultural program attracted a large audience of both Japanese nationals and international visitors.

In his address, President Disanayake said: “Friendship is one of the most valuable bonds of humanity. It unites individuals, communities, and cultures. It transcends boundaries and fosters human relationships. Moreover, it brings nations together through common goals to build a better world.

The Expo 2025 exhibition provides an opportunity to demonstrate this vision. On this occasion, which celebrates friendship and shared objectives, Sri Lanka has the opportunity to engage and collaborate with Japan and other nations. I consider it an honour to join you in celebrating Sri Lanka Day at the Expo 2025 exhibition in the historic city of Osaka.

Expo 2025 offers a global platform for over 150 nations to showcase mutual friendship, coexistence, cultural diversity, and the universal human values present in every society. Here, we present not only the richness of Sri Lanka’s heritage but also our clear vision of a sustainable, resilient, and future-ready nation to the world.

By demonstrating our strengths and capabilities on international platforms like the Expo 2025, we reaffirm our role as a responsible partner with foresight in the global community.

Through our participation in the Expo 2025, Sri Lanka has a unique opportunity to show the world its commitment to decisive economic transformation, moving towards a modern, production-based economy. This includes clearly defined policies on technology, tourism, agriculture, and the sustainable utilisation of our abundant marine resources.

The theme of Expo 2025 is the creation of a future society. Its vision is to build a better life for future generations, especially for our children. In this era of global transformations, Sri Lanka stands at a critical moment in its economic journey. Having faced continuous challenges, we are now rebuilding a sustainable and inclusive economy, ensuring that the benefits of development are widely shared and that the prosperity generated improves the quality of life for every citizen.

Expo 2025 provides Sri Lanka with a global platform to share its vision for a bright future, grounded in culture, innovation, and human values.

The friendship between Japan and Sri Lanka spans many decades. Recently, this relationship has grown even stronger. As a close partner, Japan offers support in difficult times and joins in celebrating successes. Many Sri Lankans now live in Japan, further strengthening collaboration based on trust and mutual understanding.

Despite the challenges we face today, the Sri Lanka Pavilion at Expo 2025 showcases our nation’s uniqueness, cultural pride, and confidence in the future.

Today, I had the opportunity to visit Expo 2025. I extend my warmest wishes to the organising committee for the successful execution of this outstanding exhibition. I also express my gratitude for the invaluable support provided by the Government of Japan and the Expo 2025 Association, which contributed to the success of the Sri Lanka Pavilion and the Sri Lanka Day celebrations.

This event provides an opportunity to showcase Sri Lanka’s ancient cultural heritage, natural beauty, and attractive tourist destinations, as well as world-renowned products such as Ceylon tea, gemstones, and spices. It also reaffirms our commitment to building ‘A Thriving Nation – A Beautiful Life,’ based not only on material progress but also on human values.

I invite all of you to work together to create a world where every dream can be realised, opportunities are available to all, and a nation can achieve excellence.”

Yoshitaka said Japan and Sri Lanka share a long history if exchange through Buddhism and various other channels. 

He said: “Since the late Edo period, Sri Lanka, located at the hub in the Indian Ocean, has served as a place for many Japanese travellers to rest on their way to Europe. Literary and intellectual figures such as Fukuzawa Yukichi, Nastsume Soseki, and Yosano Akiko are said to have stopped by Colombo during their travels.

Since the end of World War II, our two countries have supported one another on many occasions; Japan shall never forget the day when former President Jayewardene cited the words of the Buddha to call for Japan’s reinstatement to the international community at the San Francisco Conference of 1951, and equally how Sri Lanka generously offered support following the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and the 2024 Noto Earthquake. Thriving cultural and people-to-people exchanges form the foundation of the close relationship between Japan and Sri Lanka. I hope Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan will serve as an opportunity to deepen the mutual understanding and friendship between our two countries even further. 

Japan has also actively supported its friend Sri Lanka in terms of hardship. We upheld Sri Lanka’s peace-building efforts through the dispatch of Yasushi Akashi, Representative of the Japanese Government to Sri Lanka. Besides, for many years, we have promoted economic cooperation across all fields, including infrastructure, electricity, and landmine clearance. Following the 2022 Sri Lankan economic crisis, Japan played a leading role in the debt restructuring process.

Sri Lanka’s exhibition at the Expo showcases the country’s rich natural and cultural attractions, heritage specialities, and much more. I had the opportunity to visit the exhibition with President Disanayake and found it deeply inspiring. I hope the exhibition will help spread Sri Lanka’s appeal throughout Japan and the world.”

Having thanked Sri Lanka for participating in Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan, he also expressed the hope that President Disanayake’s visit to Japan will be a fruitful one.

BOX

AKD to meet Japan PM today

The visiting President Anura Kumara Disanayake will today (28) meet Emperor Naruhito of Japan, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, as well as Japan’s Ministers of Defence, Foreign Affairs, and Economy, Trade and Industry for bilateral discussions.

In addition, the President will attend the Sri Lanka Investment Forum in Tokyo, jointly organised by the Sri Lanka and Japan Chambers of Commerce.

Accompanying President Disanayake on this visit is Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Minister Vijitha Herath, together with senior officials of the Foreign Affairs Ministry.