Source: Panasonic
Headline: Weaving Hope for the Future: Unleashing the Hidden Potential of Children in The Land of NOMO: Yuki Kusumi, Group CEO, Panasonic Holdings Corporation
Michiko Ogawa, who is overseeing the Expo, along with the pavilion working group worked tirelessly to bring their ideas to life and to create a pavilion where children could experience hope for the future. The result was the Panasonic Group’s pavilion concept of The Land of NOMO — “Set your heart and mind free, and the world will open up.”
At the core of this concept is the idea of affluence both in matter and mind, which reflects the true mission and foundational philosophy of our founder, Konosuke Matsushita. He believed that only after there is spiritual peace of mind and a limitless supply of material goods will humanity achieve true happiness. While material wealth has undoubtedly increased in many advanced nations since the 1970 Expo, what about the heart? This pavilion focuses on the hearts of children, the world’s future leaders, offering them an experience that unlocks their inner potential.
This approach is distinctly the Panasonic Group, and in the founder’s philosophy, he also believed that humans are born with unique characteristics and talents and that success is to fully harness these talents we are endowed with. The Land of NOMO is a true manifestation of that philosophy.
The Land of NOMO is built around the idea that how you see things can change dramatically depending on your mindset. In a sense, the world around you mirrors the ways you think and feel. This idea also inspired the name. Konosuke Matsushita once said, “The human spirit, like the almighty staff wielded by the mythic Monkey King, can extend or withdraw at will.” This means that, depending on how we approach life, we may uncover new possibilities within ourselves that we weren’t aware of. If children like this are the ones to lead the future, then a wonderful future will surely open up. I hope the message of The Land of NOMO will remain with the children who visit the pavilion, leaving a lasting impression in their hearts.
The overarching theme of this Expo is “Designing Future Society for Our Lives.” But when I think about who will design that future, it’s clear that the responsibility lies with today’s children. At the 1970 Expo, people felt a sense of hope for the future by seeing the evolution of things. But today, uncertainty about the future is growing. In such times, I believe that unlocking the hidden potential within the hearts of children, who will lead the future, and helping them tap into their talents is key to designing that future society.
That’s why I hope that everyone, especially children and young people who visit the pavilion, will thoroughly enjoy The Land of NOMO and awaken to their own possibilities. I also hope that visitors will feel that there’s still much to be done and carry that inspiration forward with them.