Khaldon Azhari

OSAKA: A unique pavilion at Osaka-Kansai is attracting interest with its seemingly ordinary yet extraordinary display of burned trees in a grassy field.

This is the Forest of Civilizations, the world’s oldest exhibition of subfossil oak trees.

The ‘forest’ consists of sub-fossil oak trees over 6,500 years old, highlighting the rich history and heritage of the North Moravia region in present-day Czech Republic.

“All of these trees appear very dark because they have undergone thousands of years of carbonization while buried in the ground,” said Tomas Rothschein, the exhibit’s organizer, in an interview with Arab News Japan.

“Our goal here in Osaka at Expo 2025 is to create an entire forest, where each tree will be named after a different national pavilion participating in the Expo.”

Every visitor to this space can discover their national tree in this forest, symbolizing our shared global heritage and unity. No matter where you are from, you will find a tree representing your country — be it Japan, the United States of America, France, Brazil, or any other nation. Each national pavilion will be represented in this forest.

The forest is a Platinum Partner of Expo 2025 and operates under the auspices of the president of the Czech Republic, declaring itself to be “the whole world in one forest.”

The only forest among the buildings of Pavilions features the largest exhibition of subfossil oak trees in history, which was specifically designed for Expo 2025, according to the organizers.