Takekoma Shrine is located about 20 minutes south of Sendai Station on the Tohoku Main Line in Iwanuma City, a city surrounded by lush countryside. Founded in the Heian period, this shrine is one of the most prominent in the country. Since ancient times, it has been counted as one of Japan's three great Inari shrines and has been widely revered as the local guardian deity. However, with the passage of time, the number of visitors has gradually decreased. In order to make it a core for revitalizing the area, local people have come together to take on a project to bring back the vitality of the shrine grounds.

The 2025 Japan International Exposition (Osaka-Kansai Expo) is also a competition of architecture. In a corner of the venue, which is filled with pavilions with unique concept design, there is a small but futuristic wooden building that looks ahead to practical use in the very near future. It is the guidance hall of the demonstration plant [RITE Future Forest] which captures carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Now, as wooden architecture is attracting global attention from a sustainable perspective, the project team has taken on the challenge of building an architectural structure that is extremely simple, yet difficult precisely because of its simplicity, for the first time in Japan.

Chiba City Zoological Park, which opened in 1985 as a zoo close to the hearts of the citizens, has had an animal science museum attached to it since its opening, where visitors can learn mainly about tropical animals, making it a pioneer in Japan. In March 2025, to commemorate its 40th anniversary, the animal science museum underwent a complete renovation of its displays. While pursuing a high level of academic excellence, it was reborn as a facility where visitors can learn while experiencing the tropical rainforest, reminiscent of a theme park.

The Amami Rabbit Museum Quru Guru, which opened in April 2025, is a conservation and research facility that treats and rehabilitates injured Amami rabbits (hereinafter referred to as "rabbits") with the aim of returning them to the wild. It also uses interactive displays to promote research on the rabbit's ecology, environmental education, and coexistence with humans...

In July 2025, "mirocco," an indoor children's playground planned, designed, and operated by NOMURA Co.,Ltd. Group for approximately 11 years, opened. This is our first time operating a children's playground, despite our extensive experience in creating various spaces. *Project details here: Located on the 22nd Century Hill "Tamari..." owned by Kakegawa City, Shizuoka Prefecture.

The "Osaka-Kansai Expo concept design Exhibition" was held at the Osaka Prefectural Enokojima Cultural and Artistic Creation Center (enoco) from October 1st to 19th. This article introduces a discussion from the talk program "See You Again, Expo—What Does an Expo Leave Behind for Society?" held on October 11th. After the opening of the Osaka-Kansai Expo, derivative works by visitors and fans were created on social media...