ABU DHABI/TOTTORI, sixth April, 2026 (WAM) — A pergola that fashioned a part of the United Arab Emirates Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, has been put in in Tottori Prefecture, the place it can proceed to function a public house for guests.
Originally positioned on the entrance of the UAE Pavilion, the pergola offered a shaded space for tens of millions of tourists as they approached the Pavilion. Its relocation to Tottori Kodomo no Kuni, a youngsters’s facility, permits it to proceed serving an analogous perform inside a brand new public setting.
Shihab Alfaheem, UAE Ambassador to Japan and Commissioner General of the UAE Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka, mentioned, “From the outset, the UAE Pavilion was intended as a place where cultures could meet through design, conversation and shared experience. The pergola welcomed visitors as they entered the Pavilion landscape, offering a moment to pause before beginning their journey through the space.”
“Its installation in Tottori allows it to continue serving a public purpose. By gifting the pergola to the people of the prefecture, we hope it will remain a place where communities gather and interact. In that way, a part of the Pavilion experience continues in Japan,” he added.
Shinji Hirai, Governor of Tottori Prefecture, mentioned, “We are honoured to welcome the UAE Pavilion Pergola to Tottori. During Expo 2025 Osaka, the UAE Pavilion left a strong impression on visitors through its thoughtful design and the warmth with which guests were received.”
“The presence of the pergola here at Kodomo no Kuni allows a part of that experience to remain in Japan. We hope it will become a place where children and families gather, reflecting the spirit of cultural exchange and friendship between Japan and the United Arab Emirates,” he added.
The pergola was designed as a part of the Pavilion’s arrival sequence. It created a transition for guests coming into the Pavilion from the Expo web site. Its construction mirrors the Grand Ring at Expo 2025 by means of using cedar, serving as a nod to Japan and its architectural language.
The shading material incorporates patterns impressed by khoos, the standard Emirati craft of weaving palm fronds, bringing collectively parts from each contexts inside a single construction.
This layering of supplies and traditions launched guests to a dialogue between Japanese craftsmanship and Emirati cultural heritage, reflecting the broader design philosophy developed by means of the Earth to Ether Design Collective.
Set inside a panorama impressed by satoyama woodlands, the pergola fashioned a part of a broader narrative exploring the relationships amongst individuals, nature, and craft.
This connection can also be mirrored within the pure landscapes of the 2 areas. The sand dunes of Tottori Prefecture and the deserts of the United Arab Emirates share related environmental traits, formed by wind over time and recognised as defining options of their respective geographies.
During Expo 2025 Osaka, the UAE Pavilion welcomed greater than 5 million mixed guests, providing audiences from all over the world an immersive journey impressed by its theme, Earth to Ether, which explored the connection between the UAE’s heritage, its individuals, and its aspirations for the longer term.
A plaque put in beside the construction reads, “Designed for the UAE Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, this pergola reflects a dialogue between Emirati heritage and Japanese craftsmanship, celebrating a shared appreciation for nature and community. Once welcoming visitors at the entrance of the UAE Pavilion, it has been gifted to the people of Tottori. Here, it continues to provide shade and a place of gathering, standing as a lasting symbol of the enduring friendship between Japan and the United Arab Emirates.”