CEO, steAm Inc.

Sachiko

Producer of the "Playground of Life: Jellyfish Pavilion."
She stirs together people of diverse characteristics and backgrounds to co-create a future society where all lives shine brightly. With the slogan “We are ALL Minorities!!!”, she advocates for “The Joy of Creation for All” (democratization of creativity).

In 2017, she founded steAm Inc.
Her work spans piano and composition, mathematics research, STEAM education, and media art.

CEO, No Side Inc

NAKANISHI Ryosuke

You can think of him as the caretaker of the Jellyfish Pavilion. In 2011, he founded No Side Inc., and has since been supporting individuals with severe physical and intellectual disabilities, as well as those who require medical care, primarily in Higashi-Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture. He works to connect society through welfare, aiming to create an inclusive world where everyone can live with peace of mind, regardless of their circumstances.

Hikaru

Hikaru loves drawing and creating illustrations as part of her work. She hopes many people will get to see the drawings she makes. Her dream is to create a picture book. She also enjoys watching dramas and listening to K-pop. On her days off, she plays balloon volleyball or visits art museums. She also enjoys a little drink now and then♪

NEXT VISION

Wakichi

Diagnosed with a rare eye disease at the age of 13, he gradually lost his vision and completely lost his vision at 30. Even after losing his sight, he continues to challenge the limits of possibility, actively using digital devices, and has even tried ice skating! He now works at the Kobe Eye Center, where he introduces the latest visual support technologies and provides low vision care that offers hope, not despair, even after losing sight.

Natsuko

Currently battling an internal illness, she is in the process of exploring ways to make use of her own experiences, seeking meaningful ways to share and contribute.

Yatatara, Otonau

EMA

EMA

Believing in the light beyond the shadows, EMA gently reaches out a hand. Sometimes, this becomes a hug, a prayer inviting, “Let’s be friends.” As we dance and encounter one another in this world, we discover the light within each other’s hearts. In the moment we laugh together, hold hands, and feel the joy of life—that light illuminates the “now” and connects both past and future. And so, Bon Odori.

Where did Otaishi-san go?! ~ GO! GO! Toward what lies ahead

Director, Shogai-Koryaku Ka (Social Changer Section)

OTSUKA Kunpei

Rather than simply making “inconvenience” into “normal” (for example, by leveling a step to make it flat), we start from inconvenience itself and create “fufufu,” a new kind of value. This is the mission of the Barrier-Breaking Division, which tackles social barriers in towns, objects, actions, and people through inclusive design, continually inventing new products and services.

CEO, Lean on Me, Inc.

SHIMURA Shunnsuke

Born in 1990. Having a younger brother with Down syndrome, he grew up in an environment that naturally embraced people with disabilities and nature. At the same time, he felt issues in how society at large treats "disability," and he became committed to achieving true normalization. In 2014, he founded Lean on Me Inc.

Yatatara, Otonau /Ryu-teki & Biwa Player, Miko, Tenno-ji Gakusho Garyoukai Player

NIIYAMA Yoko

While working at an aquarium, she traveled the world as a backpacker. At an international conference of Indigenous Peoples, she met the late Ainu author KAYANO Shigeru and became involved in various Ainu spiritual ceremonies. Through this experience, she realized the importance of preserving folk culture and entered the world of gagaku (traditional Japanese court music). Today, she is working so that children from all walks of life can discover their potential through the arts and find their own means of self-expression.

Yamawakida-yo-

He is a person with hearing loss. He is looking forward to both the Expo and the Deaflympics!

Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd. Marketing Main Office

TAI Shintaro

He has a physical disability affecting his limbs. Thanks to the unique and lively KURAGE (jellyfish) muddlers (stirrers) in the Jellyfish Pavilion, he has been able to take part in exhibition planning with a warm heart. In society, even small differences between people can sometimes lead to unexpected divisions. However, he believes that when people who are different spend enjoyable time together and engage with one another sincerely, everyone can all grow closer.

Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd. Marketing Main Office

HAYASHI Ayano

When she was a student, she used to do "note-taking," transcribing speech into text in real time. People often said, “That’s admirable.” However, she always felt that was a little strange. To her, it felt no different than lending notes to a friend. For her, that kind of compliment didn’t fit. She wants to help create a society where everyone can reach out to each other without thinking about who someone is or what their relationship is.

DNP Business Partners Co., Ltd.

Kurage Taiheiyo
(Jellyfish Pacific Ocean)

She works daily in proxy shipping services, making full use of computers to streamline operations and manage data. She loves planning and proposing events and coming up with ideas everyone can enjoy. In the workplace, she focuses on creating a cheerful and fun atmosphere so that everyone can work with a smile.

Horibato

He was five years old when EXPO '70 was held. He remembers walking around the vast, futuristic venue, tired from all the walking, wearing a cowboy hat he had customized into a Japanese-style straw hat, and taking a break while licking a milk-flavored popsicle. It’s an honor to now be involved with EXPO 2025 as an employee. He is hard of hearing, and he looks forward to working with you.

DNP Business Partners Co., Ltd.

YANAGI Mayumi

At DNP Business Partners, she works at Hand Sign Café, a café run by deaf staff.
She also belongs to the in-house art club, where she is in charge of watercolor painting.

Yamamoto Noh Theater

YAMAMOTO Yoshie

At the oldest Noh theater in Osaka, she works to promote and preserve Noh traditional theater, as well as share the charm of Osaka’s traditional performing arts. Noh, a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, continues to captivate people around the world even today. She strives to explain and reveal its appeal in a way that makes it easy to understand, presenting it as a vibrant performing art that lives on in the present day and can contribute to a brighter future society.

Kids Art Project, Secretary to the Hospital Director, Kawasaki Rinko General Hospital, NK BRATSTVO SV

KAI Tomoki

As a member of the Kids Art Project, he also takes part in meetings at the Jellyfish Pavilion. He works as the director’s secretary at Kawasaki Rinko General Hospital, helping connect the community and hospital, and engaging in activities to revitalize the region. He also plays soccer for the Croatian team NK BRATSTVO SV.
Starting in Brazil, he has now spent 15 seasons playing overseas.

Musician

kabayan

As his hearing began to deteriorate, he started to hear music in a way that he had never noticed before, he could hear it and see it in entirely new ways. It seems that losing certain abilities can reveal worlds we never knew existed. The sensory mechanisms by which living creatures perceive the world are profoundly deep.

On the other hand, he felt that the 'convenience' systems created by humans are often one-sided, and ironically end up generating 'inconvenience' in the process.