Taiwan Culture in Osaka · Kansai Expo "We TAIWAN" Pre-Event Press Conference Minister of Culture Li Yuan Announces Expo Surprise Calling On Online and Offline Audiences to Follow a-We to Osaka
"We TAIWAN Taiwan Culture in Osaka · Kansai Expo," set to take place from August 2-20 in Osaka, Japan, responds to the expo's main theme "Creating a Future Society Shining with the Light of Life" with the concept "Supporting the Future, Island of Miracles." The event features four major venues and themes: VS. Space "Blending Colors," Osaka Central Public Hall "Cross-Domain Creation," Nakanoshima "Ever-Changing Atmosphere," and the online-offline hybrid integrated "Gaming Capacity." Drawing together 38 Taiwanese and Japanese artists, 129 performances spanning exhibitions, technology performances, VR immersive experiences, online games, films, literature, and markets, plus a "surprise" performance formally invited by the Expo, will once again showcase Taiwan to the world.
Today's pre-event press conference was attended by Minister of Culture Li Yuan, Deputy Minister of Culture Wang Shi-si, Kazuyuki Katayama, Representative of the Japan Taiwan Exchange Association Taipei Office, Calivat·Gadu, Vice Chairperson of the Council of Indigenous Peoples, Huang Chun-hui, Deputy Secretary-General of the Taiwan Culture Association, and the curatorial team, collectively galvanizing the team's spirit and providing mutual encouragement as they depart for Osaka to share Taiwan's story with the world.
In his remarks, Minister Li Yuan explained that since becoming Minister of Culture, his friends frequently ask him, "Why do you always say 'Let the world see Taiwan'?" He responded by referencing the recent documentary "The Invisible Country," which broke the 30 million box office record, noting that precisely because Taiwan has not been seen, being seen becomes even more important. This time, "We TAIWAN" chose the simple concept of a-We to symbolize the formation of this island. For him, with his background in biology, a-We is more like an amoeba—"though under great pressure, it can continuously transform, demonstrating Taiwan's adaptability and responsiveness amid various historical crises."
Li Yuan particularly highlighted the "crowdfunding" initiative launched by Yang Da-cheng and Wu Nian-zhen, which achieved four fundraising milestones in just a few days. With the support of the crowd, a-We will float as a massive balloon in the Osaka sky and appear in streetcar advertisements, along with video and media publicity, "allowing everyone to witness the power of grassroots support." The press conference room applauded this remarkable "grassroots power."
Li Yuan stated that in his more than a year as Minister of Culture, he has been fortunate to experience the Paris Cultural Olympics and now the Osaka Expo. At a time when Taiwan faces internal and external challenges, he has experienced one of Taiwan's most brilliant moments. When he witnessed Premier Cho Jung-tai shouting "a~we~" with the "a-We" figure at a cabinet meeting to encourage cabinet members, he felt even more deeply that "Taiwan's success today is due to everyone's sustained collective effort." He has also witnessed how, from fifty years ago when he was in his twenties questioning "What is Taiwan?" to today, the younger generation now expresses Taiwan's culture with complete ease. "Taiwan has transformed sorrow into joy, sorrow into confidence, and sorrow has allowed the world to see that we are a diverse and prosperous nation."
Kazuyuki Katayama, Representative of the Japan Taiwan Exchange Association Taipei Office, stated, "Culture is a resonance created through mutual empathy." He expressed his belief that the "We TAIWAN" event will not only serve as an excellent opportunity to showcase Taiwan's cultural diversity and creativity to the Japanese public and the world, but that Japanese and Taiwanese people will also nurture new creativity and understanding through mutual resonance, further deepening ties between Japan and Taiwan.
Fang Xu-zhong, the visual coordinator for "We TAIWAN," who created a-We, explained that while a-We appears simple, it represents "a very important step for Taiwan to introduce itself to the world." Although a-We looks simple, it possesses rich emotions; and though it appears small, it has great power—much like Taiwan's situation. Like a small bubble organism born from tectonic plate compression, it has infinite elasticity and the vibrant green and azure blue of the sea, capable of living freely in any environment.
Lin Kun-ying, a member of the curatorial team and chief curator of the "Taiwan Spectrum" exhibition area, explained that following the Paris Cultural Olympics, the team is again taking the stage internationally, choosing to showcase Taiwan's vibrancy, blending, and resilience through "Taiwan's True Colors," "Woven Light of Nature," and "Island Sound Spectrum" within the newly designed VS. building designed by Tadao Ando. Lin noted that with only five days for setup, the team will bring Taiwan's adaptability and problem-solving methods to the site, with live streaming during installation, "hoping everyone will cheer us on together."
The press conference opened with a performance by "Paichang Artistic Collision," featuring their work "Siau," which reinterprets the "God Generals" from traditional temple culture in a cross-temporal manner, incorporating female oracle and millennial performer roles to present dialogue between technology, faith, and tradition. During the formal performance on Nakanoshima outdoors in Osaka, it will be accompanied by electrically-enabled God Generals over two meters tall, responding through body-mounted devices to the oracle's guidance, conveying deeper concerns about democratic development and transitional justice. Wild Kids Physical Theatre then facilitated a mime performance to help the audience meet and interact with the vibrant and resilient a-We. Li Yuan subsequently presented themed a-We to team representatives, symbolizing the nation's blessings and expectations for this endeavor.
Li Yuan also announced the press conference's biggest "surprise"—beyond the performances in the four major venues, the Ministry of Culture's proposed "Island Voices—Ritual Drama Before the Temple Courtyard" has been formally invited by the Expo to be one of the official expo activities. It will be presented at the "Pop-Up Stage North" on Osaka Expo's Yume Island from August 26-28 for three days, with performances from 5:00 to 6:00 PM each day. The program, coordinated by director-general Tu Si-hui and music director Zhuo Shi-yao, brings together nine teams from across Taiwan, presenting in five segments Taiwan's gratitude to heaven and earth, the divine, and love of life.
These include the "Ritual Drama" by Xinsheng Jingzhang Hand Puppet Theater, combining puppet physicality, sound, and interaction; "Great God Wong: God General Procession Protects the Island," a collaborative performance by Buzhi Stroke Sound Studio and Paichang Artistic Collision; "Blessings from Ancient Times: Offering to Heaven and Earth," sung together by Sangpuyi, the song king from Taitung, and the Hope Children's Choir from Pingtung with an average age under 11; Jiaying's Wenxiang Dance Troupe presenting "Fate's Arrangement: Drawing Divination Blocks (Excerpt)" in "Fate's Arrangement," expanding the theme of divination blocks into dance; and "Our Language: Mother's Words," performed by three performers Zhang Ya-chun, Xie Ming-you, and Qiu Shu, who respectively respond through song and native language to the connections between language, land, and faith.
Additionally, as the lead-in "a-We POKE POKE" game has accumulated over 15 million "strikes" globally and successfully unlocked all items, details of the "a-We TO GO" Taiwan Cultural Treasure Collection Journey game have been released. Starting August 2, through the official "We TAIWAN" LINE account, players can visit 20 Osaka city points and partner shops, scan QR codes for stages, or tap stages on the map to challenge a series of Taiwan culture mini-games and collect multiple appealing "cultural treasures" that can be worn by a-We to create unique a-We styles.