Experience the excitement of the future society supported by Beyond 5G at the Expo / Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications "Beyond 5G ready Showcase" - Yoshiyoshi Kagei(Director, Office for Promotion of New Generation Mobile Communications Systems, Mobile Communications Division, Radio Department, Telecommunications Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications)
ODAIBA IX Core/Industrial Transformation (IX) Leaders
Leaders Transforming Industrial Technology (No. 11)

We were surprised by the response, which was more than we had expected. We had a full house every day, but above all, we were very pleased that visitors enjoyed themselves with happy smiles on their faces and took the opportunity to learn seriously," said Mr. Takayoshi Kagei of the MIC's Telecommunications Infrastructure Bureau. Mr. Takayoshi Kagei of the Telecommunications Infrastructure Bureau of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) said, "We are very pleased with the turnout. As head of the New Generation Mobile Communications Systems Promotion Office, Mobile Communications Division, Radio Department, he spearheaded the "Beyond 5G ready Showcase" at Expo 2025 Osaka-Kansai (Japan International Exposition, 2025).

Mr. Takayoshi Kagei, Director General of the Telecommunications Infrastructure Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications

This showcase was held at the Expo Messe "WASSE" in the Expo site, and was a limited nine-day event from May 26 to June 3. More than 40,000 visitors attended during that period, demonstrating the high level of interest of visitors in future telecommunications. The venue was divided into three zones, each with contents that were easy to understand and enjoy: as visitors progressed from zone 1 to zone 3, they experienced a simulated city and lifestyle of the future realized by Beyond 5G (6G), the next generation of 5G wireless communication technology, and created a story that enabled a deeper understanding of future information and communications. The storyline was created to provide a deeper understanding of future information and communications.

ZONE 1 featured a powerful prologue theater with a 180-degree wall display, which introduced the history of telecommunications and its journey into the future: from the invention of the telegraph in 1837, to the provision of the telephone in Japan in 1890, followed by the Internet, cell phones, 4G and 5G, and then to the Beyond 5G world. The visuals were a friendly expression of the fact that we are on our way. Then, an immersive, large-screen presentation of the use of AI, all-optical networks, and even "HAPS" (High Altitude Platform Station), which is expected to be used as a flying mobile base station. It was an introductory theater that attracted even those familiar with telecommunications and technology.

Prologue Theater" in ZONE 1 of the Beyond 5G ready showcase, featuring a dynamic representation of the history of telecommunications on a 180-degree screen.

Learn about the future of society and communications through hands-on experience

Moving on to Zone 2, visitors will find five booths with interactive contents that allow them to experience the society and lifestyles that will be realized by Beyond 5G. The booths are located behind the wall, and from the central space, visitors can enjoy images of future cities projected on the wall.

First, "Remote Moon Operation. This is a content to experience , connecting the Moon's surface to the Earth via Beyond 5G ultra-low latency communications to experience a world where equipment on the Moon can be controlled in real-time by digital twin and AI predictions. Visitors enjoyed the immersive experience of lunar surface operation using VR goggles.

Remote Moon Operations."

The "HAPS Recovery" program presented "future peace of mind" through the use of the High Altitude Platform Station (HAPS), a flying mobile base station. The simulation showed how HAPS can be used to cover an area from the sky where communication has been lost in the event of a disaster. Specifically, six participants turned the propeller of the HAPS on the tablet screen to experience the safe flight of the HAPS to the disaster site.

HAPS Recovery."

＜Visitors to the Ocean Cleaning booth were able to experience the "nature of the future. Beyond 5G will enable ocean and undersea communication through underwater optical wireless communication technology and NTN (Non Terrestrial Network). The content was highly game-like, with a camera and AI detecting the movements of the experiencer to control the underwater robot, giving visitors an image of future underwater utilization.

Ocean Cleaning.

The "Virtual Pitching Room" offered visitors the experience of "the body of the future," where they could experience the transmission of sensations through haptics technology, which utilizes the high-speed, low-latency performance of Beyond 5G to transmit the sense of touch. Visitors enjoyed realistic future communications that transmit "sensations" by playing catch with remote locations and AI avatars in a virtual space, which was composed as highly entertaining content.

Virtual Pitching Room."

Last was "Cross Connect City," a booth that evoked the image of "life in the future. This was designed as a learning experience in which visitors could solve the problems of the city by appropriately combining various industrial systems. Visitors learned about the need for an orchestrator to coordinate the various functions provided by networks and systems, and experienced the importance of infrastructure development for future life.

Cross Connect City."

A mechanism to enjoy everything from avatar experiences to technical exhibits.

In addition to each booth offering content that both children and adults could enjoy, the event also offered an avatar experience using "Beyond 5G ID". By holding up the ID band distributed to visitors and experiencing the contents at the booth, they could collect ID parts and create their own avatar, their other self in cyberspace.

The avatar can be seen by holding the band over the station located in the center of ZONE2, and every 20 minutes the avatar will appear on the screen on the wall, creating content that allows visitors to feel the coordination between cyberspace and real space. Furthermore, by using the QR code on the band, visitors can also meet their avatar at the "Virtual Event" of the Beyond 5G Showcase, which is being held at the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications site until October. As Kagei said, "We tried to create a production that would make the world of digital twinning accessible to everyone from children to adults." The experience, including both real and virtual, was meticulously crafted.

Beyond 5G" as Information Infrastructure to Support AI Society in the 2030s - ZONE3

In ZONE 3, there was an exhibit of Beyond 5G development technologies that will realize the image of the future city we have experienced so far. This exhibit introduced 10 technologies currently under development by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) Beyond 5G Fund Project, and other organizations. While technology exhibits are interesting to specialists and enthusiasts, they are not necessarily relevant to the average Expo visitor. In such a situation, the concept of introducing the technologies to be realized based on the story of ZONE 1 and ZONE 2 was well accepted by visitors and enjoyed by adults and children alike," said Mr. Kagei, indicating the success of content creation to attract interest in the technologies. In fact, many exhibits utilized dioramas, moving images, and augmented reality (AR), providing an opportunity for visitors to enjoy and deepen their understanding of this cutting-edge and difficult technology.

The "Space Weather Prediction Technology Supporting Stable Communications" technology exhibit will showcase various sensors to be installed on the geostationary observation satellite Himawari 10, scheduled for launch in 2029.

At the entrance to ZONE3, there was also a panel that illustrated which technologies were being used in the future experience of ZONE2. For example, "Supporting Future Infrastructure with All Optical Networks," which is an all-Japan effort to open up optical communication infrastructure, was shown in the virtual pitching room and cross-connect city of ZONE2, while "3-D Connecting Space, Ocean, Air, and Ground" showed how land, sea, and air networks will communicate using dioramas and AR. It can be seen at a glance that the "Space Communication Network" is a technology closely related to HAPS Recovery and Ocean Cleaning in ZONE2. Such detailed efforts also led to a natural sense of the relationship between the image of the future and technology.

Technology exhibit of "3D space communication network connecting space, air, sea, and ground" that combines diorama and AR to "visualize" communications

Demonstration of "Space Weather Forecasting Technology to Support Stable Communications," which predicts solar flares. He explained that solar flares not only bring auroras but also affect communications, so a 24-hour monitoring system is in place.

Technology exhibit of "Ultra-high-range communications connected by flying base station HAPS," which aims for commercialization in 2026. The lightweight aircraft-type HAPS will support communications on remote islands, at sea, and in mountainous areas, and will also be used to secure communications during disasters.

Building the Society of the Future

Regarding the "Beyond 5G ready Showcase," which closed without incident, Mr. Kagei said, "We received feedback that it was a waste to limit the showcase to a limited period and that we should do more. I think this is the greatest compliment. The exhibition using the large stage of the Expo is one experiment in our approach to delivering our policies to the world. As an administrative officer of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, I frankly learned a lot, and I feel it was worthwhile as a showcase," he summed up.

He said that this showcase was an unprecedented scale and showcase embodied in a way that was unprecedented for the MIC. Mr. Kagei said, "I hosted this event at the Expo only because I have something to convey as MIC, and it is my core business to make policies on 6G and next-generation communications. On the other hand, if the MIC were to create this event alone, it would become a stuffy event. Therefore, with the help of creative people in the private sector, we have refined the content production and entertainment aspects of the event through many discussions. I also supervised every word of the narration and carefully examined the content of the next-generation communication messages," he says. The results of these efforts led to twice the expected number of visitors and positive feedback from visitors.

While the Expo exhibition was a success, it is imperative to make this success a real driving force for Beyond 5G. The wireless telephones that were exhibited at the 1970 Osaka Expo as "dream phones" have since become commonplace, and today, they are the driving force for information and communications beyond 5G. The wireless telephones that were exhibited at the 1970 Osaka Expo have since become commonplace, and today we have an information and communications society that has surpassed that level of technology. We would like to contribute to the realization of next-generation communications, such as communications to the moon and NTNs (Non Terrestrial Networks) that span land, sea, and air, as shown at the Osaka-Kansai Expo, and to the realization of a society that has changed the way we look at things," said Kagei.

Virtual Event Top Page

The "Beyond 5G ready showcase" at Expo '70 Osaka-Kansai has ended, but the aforementioned virtual event https://b5g-readyshowcase.soumu.go.jp is being held until October 13, the end of the exhibition period. It is an attempt to allow visitors to experience the same contents as the exhibition through a virtual space on the Web. If you are enjoying the exhibition, please experience the virtual event as well, using the QR code on the ID band, you can enjoy the virtual event with your own avatar created at the exhibition. Even if you can't come to the event, you can experience the contents virtually without standing in line," said Kagei. During the Osaka-Kansai Expo, visitors will be able to fully enjoy the showcase of the future society envisioned by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.

Mr. Kagei said, "The people who were excited by Expo '70 Osaka have been leading the telecommunications industry today. I would be very happy if the people who were excited by the showcase and the virtual event could lead or raise the level of next-generation telecommunications and help build the society of the future," he said.

(TeleGraphic Editorial Board)