Under Akio Aoki’s visionary leadership, Osaka’s creativity takes center stage in a citywide festival designed to make art accessible to everyone.
OSAKA, Japan, May 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — As Expo 2025 draws the world’s attention to Osaka, the city is poised to reveal even more of its innovative spirit. Between May 28 and June 24, Osaka Art & Design 2025 (OAD2025) will run parallel to the Expo, transforming the city’s urban space into an art gallery.
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The event, organized by the Osaka Art & Design 2025 Executive Committee—a collaboration of major Japanese department stores and railway companies—sees more than 60 venues across the city’s neighborhoods of Umeda, Shinsaibashi, Namba, and Abeno host more than 600 creators and brands from Japan and around the world. Around 650,000 locals and international visitors are expected to visit and interact with the art, design, and innovation that OAD2025 has woven into everyday spaces.
Under the theme “Overlaps – Converging Passions,” OAD2025 merges some of the city’s busiest stations, stores, bars and galleries with art exhibitions, installations, performances and pop-up events, making art accessible to everyone.
Notably, artists Sayaka Miyata and Midori Hirota will create an immersive installation connecting Osaka Umeda Twin Towers North to the Hankyu Department Store, turning everyday errands into cultural moments. Official maps highlight each of these temporary exhibits, and a digital stamp rally with digital gift card prizes provides visitors a fun incentive to visit them all.
OAD2025 is produced by Akio Aoki, founder of DESIGNART INC., a platform that energizes the creative industry by sparking people’s passion for craft. Aoki, known for pushing the boundaries of art, founded OAD2025 to showcase Osaka’s energy, ingenuity, and creativity to the world and inspire connoisseurs and casual passersby alike to discover art in unexpected places. Even Osaka’s famous nightlife scene will benefit from the festival, with bar exhibitions and talks planned across the city.
“It’s an incredible honor to bring this citywide event to life. Through OAD2025, I hope visitors from around the globe will find excitement and inspiration in Osaka’s creativity and find reasons to return and continue their discovery of the city’s art and design scene,” says Aoki.
Find out more at: https://www.osaka-artanddesign.com/en/
Press release (PDF): https://x.gd/v7haR
Factbook (PDF): https://x.gd/eTbIf
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About the Creative Director and CEO of DESIGNART INC., Akio Aoki:
Akio Aoki is the founder and creative director of DESIGNART INC. After launching MIRU DESIGN—a Tokyo-based creative agency—in 2009, he led branding and exhibition projects across disciplines including art, architecture, product design, and fashion. He served as Creative Director of ASAHIKAWA DESIGN WEEK (2015–2019) and is the representative of DESIGNART TOKYO, one of Japan’s largest design and art festivals. Aoki is also known for his contributions to sustainable design, public art initiatives, and international cultural exchange through platforms like “1% for Art” and “Description for” during Milan Design Week.
About Osaka Art & Design (OAD):
Osaka Art & Design (OAD) was launched in 2023 as a citywide initiative led by a consortium of major department stores, railway companies, and cultural institutions in Osaka. The organizing committee was formed to promote Osaka’s creative identity globally, especially in anticipation of Expo 2025.
This cross-sector partnership brings together the city’s commercial and cultural infrastructure to embed art and design into everyday urban life. OAD serves not only as an annual event but as an ongoing platform to strengthen Osaka’s role as a leading hub of creativity and innovation.
