Speech by King Willem-Alexander at the National Day Ceremony of the Kingdom of the Netherlands during Expo 2025 Osaka, Japan
Ladies and gentlemen,
I’m proud to be standing here, on behalf of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, to welcome you to our National Day at Expo 2025 Osaka.
I’d like to start by expressing my great appreciation and admiration for our host country Japan, and for the city of Osaka and the Kansai region. You have created a space where, for these six months, more than 160 countries can showcase their visions and ideas. In this way, you are sending a powerful message. A message of openness and unity. Of a desire for knowledge and a focus on solutions. Expo 2025 Osaka is a beacon of hope for a world adrift. Here, we don’t see people drifting apart, but an international community eagerly seeking common ground. And that’s exactly what we need right now!
So let me say to all our Japanese friends who made this Expo possible and helped bring it to life: thank you!
For many Dutch people Osaka feels like home. A city with a bustling port. A city of trade. A city of hard workers and go-getters. Osaka is Japan’s Rotterdam. Or Rotterdam is the Netherlands’ Osaka. It only depends on how you look at it.
On this day, we’re reminded once again of how privileged we are in the Netherlands to have such a longstanding relationship with Japan. No other Western country has ties that go back so far.
Four hundred and twenty-five years ago, after a journey of nearly two years, the first Dutch ship – De Liefde – arrived at Kyushu, quite by chance.
The ship was in bad shape. Most of the crew had died, and those who remained were on their last legs. They were so hungry they were chewing the leather on the ship’s ropes. But in Japan, they found a safe harbour and a warm welcome.
In the centuries that followed – in fact, until well into the 19th century – ‘Oranda’ was the only Western country with any access to Japan’s advanced civilisation. We were assigned the island of Deshima, no bigger than two football pitches in size, and connected to the mainland by a narrow bridge. It was the start of an incredibly rich exchange. Not just of goods and precious metals, but of books, instruments, arts and crafts, knowledge and culture. Gradually, East and West came to know and appreciate each other. Even Edam cheeses found their way across that bridge!
Today we still cherish the memories of that period. And we’re proud that the Japanese language has a special word for ‘Dutch learning’: rangaku.
Our shared history teaches us the importance of connection, the importance of partnership. International cooperation isn’t a zero-sum game, but a process where everyone benefits.
Let us build on these lessons from history.
Here in Osaka, we are proud to present the Kingdom of the Netherlands in our own pavilion, based on the theme of ‘Common Ground’. We’re convinced that we can only answer the big questions of our time by working together. The pavilion allows visitors to experience what the Netherlands can offer as an international partner. For the Netherlands, ‘Designing future societies for our lives’ isn’t some lofty ambition on the distant horizon. It’s our daily reality.
Just ask our growers, who brought about a horticultural revolution and increased food security.
Ask our energy sector, which is rapidly becoming more sustainable.
Ask our medical researchers and professionals, who are taking healthcare to the next level.
Or ask our high-tech companies, who are making our daily lives better and easier.
Innovation doesn’t thrive in splendid isolation. Innovation needs fresh oxygen: open doors and windows, connection, dialogue and exchange. Our pavilion isn’t a closed fortress, but a circular meeting place. Where everyone is invited!
I wish Osaka and Japan a wonderful and successful World Expo. I hope it will inspire many visitors and lead to many new partnerships.
This expo is exactly what the world needs right now. So, with all my heart, I say: ōkini. Thank you!