Japan’s Princess Aiko graces Singapore Pavilion at Osaka World Expo

TOKYO – Japanese royalty graced the Singapore Pavilion at the Osaka World Expo on May 9, as Princess Aiko, known for her passion for animals and humanitarian pursuits, explored the Republic’s showcase.

The 23-year-old daughter of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako showed a keen fascination with Singapore’s urban greening strategies.

Guided through the pavilion by Singapore’s Ambassador to Japan, Mr Ong Eng Chuan, Princess Aiko was intrigued by displays illustrating how nature has thrived amid the Republic’s rapid urban development. Her curiosity was particularly piqued by Singapore’s animal crossings, or ecological bridges, that provide safe passage for wildlife across busy roads and expressways.

The Singapore Pavilion, whose distinctive spherical architecture is a play on the country’s moniker “Little Red Dot”, has been designated as a signature SG60 highlight to mark Singapore’s 60th year of independence.

Inside the pavilion, also known as the Dream Sphere, the exhibits portray the indomitable spirit of an island nation that has weathered the odds, with its residents sculpting their dreams into tangible realities. In doing so, it invites visitors to themselves dream of a brighter tomorrow.

At the Dream Repository, where visitors pen their dreams, Princess Aiko wrote “world peace” on a digital canvas, smiling as her words were projected onto the domed ceiling.

Lending a personal touch was a display at the Singapore Pavilion of the pure-white orchid hybrid Dendrobium Masako Kotaishi Hidenka, which was named in 1993 to commemorate the marriage of Princess Aiko’s parents.

The princess remarked that her mother would undoubtedly be happy with the orchid.

Mr Ong also introduced Princess Aiko to Singaporean cuisine at the Pavilion’s Shiok! Cafe, which offers dishes like chicken rice, laksa, satay and roti prata. 

She said she had once tried laksa before at the Imperial Palace, prepared by the royal chefs.

Mr Ong invited Princess Aiko to visit Singapore, to which she responded favourably.

“It was an honour to host Princess Aiko at the Singapore Pavilion,” Mr Ong told The Straits Times, highlighting how the imperial family had also visited the Singapore Pavilion at past World Expos in Japan – Osaka in 1970 and Aichi in 2005.

“These visits reflect the warm friendship between Singapore and the imperial family, and we look forward to more such meaningful engagements in the future,” he said.

Princess Aiko, who currently works in the Japanese Red Cross Society, visited the Singapore Pavilion on the second day of her two-day visit to the Osaka Expo. Her itinerary also included stops at the Japan Pavilion and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement Pavilion.

Expo 2025, a celebration of togetherness under the theme of Designing Future Society For Our Lives, runs until Oct 13 on the reclaimed Yumeshima, or Dream Island, in Osaka Bay.