A glimpse into diversity at Osaka Expo: Indonesia Pavilion staff pray toward Mecca
OSAKA -- In a small room within the Indonesia Pavilion at the Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Muslim staff members from the country were seen offering prayers in the direction of Mecca, the holy site of Islam, when this reporter visited.
In Indonesia, where nearly 90% of the population is Muslim, practitioners of the religion perform prayers five times a day. Its pavilion staff members dedicate about 20 minutes of their break time to prayer. They remain clad in the same attire as when working, with staff IDs hanging around their necks.
One 22-year-old staff member who prayed alongside his 35-year-old colleague said that having a prayer room provides peace of mind. The room is equipped with running water for washing the face, hands and feet before worship.
The Expo venue has a "Prayer Room" located in the "Forest of Tranquility Zone." It is not designated for a particular religion, and can be used freely for purposes such as prayer and meditation. However, due to the vastness of the Expo site and the time it takes to travel back and forth from each pavilion, staff members usually pray in their own pavilions. But those at the Indonesia Pavilion also use the Prayer Room for collective worship on Fridays.
The Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition says that it does not know how many pavilions have their own prayer rooms.
The Expo hosts people with various religions, cultures and languages. Observing their devoted prayers brought a renewed sense of this diversity.
(Japanese original by Takehiko Onishi, Osaka Photo and Video Department)
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