Strengthening ties between Chile and Japan: President Boric kicks off Chile Day at Expo Osaka 2025
In a formal ceremony at the National Day Hall -which included the raising of the flags of Chile and Japan as well as the singing of their respective national anthems- the head of state highlighted the strong bilateral, economic, and friendship ties between both nations.
In the context of the work trip of the President of the Republic, Gabriel Boric Font, to Japan and China, the President inaugurated Chile Day at the World Expo 2025 held in Osaka, Japan, where the country has a pavilion that has been visited by more than 250 thousand people to date.
In a formal ceremony at the National Day Hall- which included the raising of the flags of Chile and Japan and the singing of their respective national anthems- the head of state highlighted the strong bilateral, economic, and friendship ties between both nations, "being at this Expo reflects the importance that Chile gives to its entire relationship with the Asia Pacific. But it's not just about the relationship between Chile and Japan, but the relationship between Chile and the world ".
"We are at a world expo where we meet with other peoples, we meet those who are different from us, but above all they are humans, to whom we owe respect and also want to learn more from them," said President Gabriel Boric.
Furthermore, the Head of State called for the defense of multilateralism as a way to resolve conflicts, reflected in Chile's presence at these types of international forums, where more than 160 countries and international organizations are represented with pavilions.
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"We are in a changing world. Yesterday, the Japanese prime minister was telling me that we are probably experiencing what a leader must live through in a century, these moments of epochal changes. And in this moment of epochal changes, from our country, we reaffirm our conviction that it is through multilateralism, democracy, respect for human rights, that we can move forward in a world where peace and prosperity of our people prevail," stated the President of Chile.
"We know it's not easy, but we are convinced that commerce, culture, science, joint research, are the elements that will allow us to become increasingly more unified, to understand each other as beings with equal rights, and to continue advancing towards a more integrated world where, regardless of where we were born, we all have the same right to be happy," he commented.
Chile was the 20th participant to celebrate its National Day at the Expo Osaka 2025 and the second Latin American country to do so.
The National Day of Chile had a wide public-private delegation, comprised of the Foreign Affairs Minister, Alberto van Klaveren; Agriculture Minister, Esteban Valenzuela; Transport and Telecommunications Minister, Juan Carlos Muñoz; the Minister of Cultures, Arts, and Heritage, Carolina Arredondo and the Undersecretary of International Economic Relations, Claudia Sanhueza. Furthermore, the head of state was at the Expo Osaka 2025 with a cross-party parliamentary delegation and representatives from InvestChile, ProChile, Sofofa, and the SNA.
Cultural and Protocol Events
One of the objectives of the National Days at the World Expositions is to show the Japanese and international public the existing artistic diversity in the country. For this, a lineup of national groups was formed, including Congreso; Mahani Teave; Banda Conmoción; Jean Paul Olhaberry; the National Folkloric Ballet of Chile (Bafona); Karcocha and the chinchineros Olga Carrasco and Carlos Aravena, and the organ grinder Camilo Cárdenas.
The President of the Republic also made a protocol visit to the Japan pavilion and the Chile pavilion, in a tour conducted by the Chilean Commissioner for Expo Osaka 2025, Paulina Nazal, and the general director of ProChile, Ignacio Fernández. The Chilean pavilion features the project Makün: The Mantle of Chile, which is composed of a loom woven by 200 Mapuche craftswomen from 4 communities in the La Araucanía and Biobío region.
"Our pavilion at this Exhibition embodies our roots in conjunction with our vision of the future. It's the awareness that we are here thanks to everyone who preceded us. Its centerpiece, Makün, is an extraordinary textile cloak crafted by 200 Mapuche weavers that symbolizes the bond we maintain with our indigenous people and the cultural diversity that coexists in our territory, precisely at a time when we are discussing a new deal in our homeland, founded on peace and understanding between the state and the Mapuche people," said President Gabriel Boric.
Chile at Expo Osaka 2025
The Expo Osaka 2025, whose motto is "Designing the Future Society for Our Lives" lasts 184 days and it is projected that about 30 million people will attend over the 6-month duration.
Among the objectives of Chile's participation is to continue diversifying the Chilean export matrix, where Japan is positioned as the country's third trading partner; increase Japan's investments in Chile - according to InvestChile, Japan is the leading Asian investor in Chile - and enhance Chile's country image in the world.
Chile's presence at the Expo is being coordinated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through ProChile, an institution that has organized a schedule of 20 thematic weeks in areas such as agro & food, astronomy, clean energy and green hydrogen, gender, mining, among other subjects.