ARTLOGUE Inc. (Headquarters: Kita-ku, Osaka City; CEO: Suzuki Daisuke), together with the 2025 Japan World Exposition Association (Public Interest Incorporated Association), the Japan Arts Council (Japan Arts Council), and the Agency for Cultural Affairs, hosted the online talk event "EXPO PLL Talks Art & Impact: Thinking about the world after the Expo with innovators" as part of the "Study: Osaka-Kansai International Arts Festival." The event was streamed on the official YouTube channel on Thursday, March 21, 2025.

This year marks the 15th time the event has been held, and we welcomed as our guest Mr. Kenji Kohashi (CEO/Creative Director of The Human Miracle Co., Ltd.), who is the event planning producer for the Osaka-Kansai Expo. Together with Mr. Kohashi, who has an unusual career history having switched from acting to becoming an event producer, we explored the transition of his career and the "life-changing power" of events.

You can watch the event on the official YouTube channel.

Archived video
Kenji Kobashi EXPO PLL Talks "Art & Impact: Thinking about the Post-Expo World with Innovators" vol.15

◼︎What is "EXPO PLL Talks Art & Impact: Thinking about the Post-Expo World with Innovators"?

EXPO PLL Talks "Art & Impact: Thinking about the Post-Expo World with Innovators" is a talk event co-hosted by Art Rogue Inc., together with the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition, the Japan Arts Council, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs, in preparation for the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo, based on the concept of realizing the theme of the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo, "Designing a Future Society Where Life Shines."

We will explore new possibilities for art and business through a dialogue between moderator Daisuke Suzuki (Study: General Producer of the Osaka Kansai International Art Festival) and guests active in a variety of genres regarding the questions posed about art at the Osaka Kansai International Art Festival.

[Osaka-Kansai Expo Official Channel: EXPO PLL Talks]
https://www.expo2025.or.jp/overview/expo_pll_talks/

■Study: What is the Osaka Kansai International Art Festival 2025?

Study: Osaka Kansai International Art Festival 2025 is an international contemporary art festival that will be held mainly in Osaka and the Kansai region from Friday, April 11th to Monday, October 13th, 2025. This year, the fourth festival will be held at the same time as the Osaka-Kansai Expo, and the venues will be symbolic locations in Osaka, such as the Osaka-Kansai Expo site (Yumeshima), Osaka Culturarium Tempozan designed by Tadao Ando, ​​Osaka Prefectural International Conference Center (Nakanoshima) designed by Kisho Kurokawa, and the Nishinari-Senba area. Taking the Osaka-Kansai Expo as an opportunity, we will create a place for new dialogue and discovery as an "art festival that studies the relationship between art, people, and society" through domestic and international art projects.

Tickets are on sale on this page
https://osaka-kansai.art/pages/ticket

◼︎Contents of Vol.15 of "EXPO PLL Talks Art & Impact: Thinking about the Post-Expo World with Innovators"

This is the 15th episode, and we welcomed as our guest Kenji Kohashi (CEO/Creative Director of The Human Miracle Inc.), who is the event planning producer for the Osaka-Kansai Expo. Together with Mr. Kohashi, who has an unusual career history having switched from acting to becoming an event producer, we explored the transition of his career and the "life-changing power" of events.

<Excerpts from talks at the event>
・From actor to event producer: A journey that changed my life
Kohashi said he took a break from acting to travel the world at the age of 27. He reflected on that experience as a turning point that led to his current career.
"The pressure was so overwhelming that I felt like I was being crushed. I was in a state of turmoil. I felt like I was living a lie to myself for years, and I got scared. So I took a break from acting and went on a journey."
Hearing this, Suzuki Daisuke seemed surprised and replied, "When you think of acting, you have a glamorous image, but it wasn't all smooth sailing." Kohashi nodded deeply and continued.
"That's exactly right. It may look glamorous to the public, but I was always struggling with it. I felt like I had reached my limits, and I struggled, not knowing how to move forward."

・Expo creates "life-changing encounters"
Regarding the potential for events to change people's lives, Kohashi said:
"Sometimes an encounter or realization can change your life 180 degrees. I believe the 2025 World Expo can be such a place. The experiences you gain at the 2025 World Expo may become guidelines for your future life. Perhaps one day you will look back and say, 'The things I encountered back then are what connect me to who I am today.'"
Responding to these words, Daisuke Suzuki also shared his own thoughts.
"I would be delighted if each and every person feels something new through the Expo and art festival, and takes home an opportunity to connect it to the future. I look forward to seeing how the dialogue and connections that art generates will influence society in the future."

Viewing URL
https://youtu.be/muvqr8hdiBs

■Speaker Profile

Kenji Kohashi

Osaka Kansai Expo Event Planning Producer
CEO and Creative Director, The Human Miracle Inc.
Born in Tokyo in 1979. He made his debut as an actor in 1988 and appeared in many popular dramas. In 2007, he took a break from show business to travel the world. After returning to Japan, he served as the creative director of "ULTRA JAPAN" and general producer of "STAR ISLAND," achieving great success both at home and abroad.
"CONTACT," a spectacular night sky show using drones, won the top prize at the Japan Event Awards (JACE Event Awards), receiving the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award.
In 2021, he will serve as show director for the closing ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, and will be the event planning producer for the 2025 World Expo (Osaka/Kansai Expo). In addition, for the 2025 countdown event, he will plan and direct a show using 2,025 drones, the largest scale in Japan, presenting new possibilities for the Japanese entertainment scene (as of January 2025). In addition, he is involved in regional revitalization and urban development, and continues to provide new value to the times.

Daisuke Suzuki
Founder and General Producer of the Study: Osaka Kansai International Arts Festival

Born on Culture Day, November 3, 1977. After participating in a research project at the Global COE of the Urban Research Plaza of Osaka City University, he started his own company. He won the Good Design Award in 2014, was a finalist in the 2015 Kyoto University GTEP Program (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology), and won the OIH Award for global innovation at the 2016 Miraino Pitch (business contest: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications Kinki Regional Bureau of Telecommunications).
On July 7, 2017, he founded ARTLOGUE Inc. with the vision of "Arts for Human and Planet" and became its CEO.
"Study: Osaka Kansai International Art Festival" will be held in January and February 2022, with the aim of establishing the world's largest "Osaka Kansai International Art Festival" to coincide with the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo.
An art innovator who aims to create a better society through the use of art.

■ List of past speakers

"EXPO PLL Talks" has invited guests active in a variety of fields, as listed below, to explore new possibilities in art and business from their respective perspectives.

vol.1: Nanjo Fumio (Special Advisor, Mori Art Museum), Hirata Oriza (Playwright and Director)
https://youtu.be/x_wEYV-IxI0?si=CGhcl1N4aShJhyym
vol.2: Takeo Obayashi (Chairman and CEO of Obayashi Corporation)
https://youtu.be/wea0OXPJ08g?si=R5tyq_ympoeruSb1
vol.3: Michiko Ogawa (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
https://youtu.be/QU3NyL9Uamo?si=vM33Rr53YUE0Gau0
vol.4: Yoichi Ochiai (media artist)
https://youtu.be/ayO0dY1g37Y?si=-kAsXCUf4KCcSSBM
vol.5: Tomoko Ukishima (Member of the House of Representatives)
https://youtu.be/a_rLbcL9qWw?si=HsZm4Bli2dID-K2g
vol.6: Hirohisa Sato (CEO of Balnivani Co., Ltd.)
https://youtu.be/5nUynWR9K70?si=fasNPjBacXGxWWLV
vol.7: Akira Tatehata (art critic/poet)
https://youtu.be/7leuPdCO624?si=g4sUfLtdo7dzfKpM
vol.8: Ussouby Sacho (President of Kyoto Seika University)
https://youtu.be/jmMSwKfaKVM?si=4s3CGITYeDTgHIHJ
vol.9: Naomi Kawase (Film Director)
https://youtu.be/Oe4YS5hnHN8?si=pwfHVsBAbhga4ehr
vol.10: Yuko Hasegawa (Director of the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art)
(※Preparation for release in progress)
vol.11: Ousby Sakho (President of Kyoto Seika University, Vice Chairman of the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo), Takayuki Sakakida (Chairman of the Kyoto Shinkin Bank)
https://youtu.be/h12z7X9kR2E?si=4Z4SnDSJ0YrX6efg
vol.12 Takahiro Miura (CEO, The Breakthrough Company GO)
https://youtu.be/nkNZMCzAjyg?si=THY0MuAxfTckJKRE
vol.13: Masamichi Toyama (CEO of Smiles Co., Ltd./CEO of The Chain Museum Co., Ltd.)
https://youtu.be/6NkNaZsTCNk?si=opSCQg-EOyBYCdqe
vol.14: Terumi Yamaguchi (Mayor of Minato Ward, Osaka City)
https://youtu.be/U_QKbS3C-wI?si=C2pBrT3Sh8n9BIQ_

 

We will continue to hold talk events with a variety of guests to build momentum for the Expo.

■Company Profile

"Study: Osaka Kansai International Art Festival 2025"
Official website: https://osaka-kansai.art/

ARTLOGUE Inc.
・Representative: ARTLOGUE Inc. CEO Daisuke Suzuki ・Head office location: Kita-ku, Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture ・Established: July 7, 2017 ・Business operations: Planning and management of "Study: Osaka Kansai International Art Festival" / Planning and management of web media "ARTLOGUE" and "Art Tourism"

■ Contact Information

Study: Osaka Kansai International Arts Festival Public Relations Office
study-pr@artlogue.org