In 1970 Japan hosted the Osaka World’s Fair, which was visited by more than 64 million people, but on that occasion Spain did not take part. Now Japan has again been selected by the 91 member countries of the BIE to organise the first Universal Exhibition of the 21st century in the Aichi prefecture, making its capital, Nagoya, the heir to Seville ‘92 and Hanover 2000. From 25th March until 25th September 2005, Aichi expects to welcome more than 15 million visitors from all over the world, and this may prove to be a very conservative estimate.

The Japanese government issued official invitations in March, 2001, and one month later Spain became the first country in the European Union to confirm its participation. Now a total of 127 countries from all five continents are to take part in EXPO Aichi 2005 , along with international organisations, such as UNESCO, the World Tourism Organisation, the University of the United Nations, and various non-governmental organisations.

“Global Harmony” is the general theme of this EXPO, and under the sub-theme “Nature’s Wisdom”, participants will attempt to assemble all the knowledge and experience humanity has gathered to date. The Japanese recognise the damages that rapid development has occasioned to their own environment and are seeking a return to nature as the source of wisdom via this EXPO, which is conceived as a great global laboratory in which a better future for humanity can be prepared. The three sub-themes of the exhibition are:

- Nature’s Matrix: the universe and the earth as imagined by humanity; communications, future technologies; humanity’s experience and the science of life.
- The Art of Life: cultures and their coexistence with nature; the legacy of the arts through time; technology and ethics in the past and future.
- The Development of Eco-communities: how to use and preserve nature and to recover the environment in the 21st century. Proposals of life-styles for the “global citizen”: the building of a new social system based on recycling and energy savings.