Salvini Visits Italy Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka

Osaka: Deputy Premier and Transport Minister Matteo Salvini has visited the Italy Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka as part of his mission to Asia which has included institutional meetings with representatives of Japanese companies. Salvini was welcomed by the Commissioner General for Italy at Expo 2025 Osaka, Ambassador Mario Vattani, and by Italy’s Ambassador to Japan Gianluigi Benedetti.

According to Ansa News Agency, the transport minister attended with them the Japanese sake barrel opening ceremony of Kagami Biraki, which was followed by a toast. Salvini also took part in the celebration of Tanabata, the star festival during which wishes are written on strips of paper and symbolically hung on bamboo trees. In his message, Salvini said he repeated the word “peace” three times.

The visit was also attended by the Italian Consul General in Osaka Filippo Manara. The infrastructure minister then rang a bell created by the Marinelli Foundry, which was presented at the opening ceremony of the week dedicated to the Molise region at the Italy Pavilion. The bell has a strong symbolic value, featuring the artistically intertwined shapes of Italy and Japan to symbolize the historic and cultural connection between the two countries.

After attending the events in Piazza Italia, Salvini then toured the Italy Pavilion, admiring the Farnese Atlas, a marble sculpture from the National Archaeological Museum of Naples (MANN), the portrait of Ito Mancio by Domenico Tintoretto, artworks by Michelangelo and Caravaggio, as well as contemporary innovations, in particular the torches of the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Salvini, in this context, highlighted his ministry’s commitment, together with institutional partners, to completing the necessary work to guarantee “unforgettable Games”.

Finally, he also visited the exhibition area of the Italian transport ministry, an official partner of the Italy Pavilion, before the presentation of an institutional video dedicated to the ministry’s mission of planning and building to unite, dealing with social, economic and environmental challenges with vision and determination.