I GO! | Edition 17: Osaka, Wonder Reawakened
This edition is a love letter to Japan, to connections, to meaningful work, to life.
“一期一会 (Ichi-go ichi-e)” – “One time, one meeting.”
[Every encounter is unique, never to be repeated—so we should treasure the moment, be fully present, and open our hearts to the beauty of each interaction]
Some days are just pure perfection.
You wake up in a new city - jet-lagged, wide-eyed, and the world meets you with matching eagerness and energy. Light streaming through a bay window, a cup of smoky coffee by your side. The stillness of a city not yet stirred. Big things ahead.
In Osaka this week, watching the sun slowly and delectably rise from the Four Seasons, a hotel so exquisite and serene it feels suspended between earth and sky.
Yes, some days you feel so attuned to the world, so engaged with it all, it feels like you are almost fusing with it. And from sunrise to moonlight, everything flows - joy, purpose, connection, awe.
It had been five years.
Five years of waiting, longing, dreaming of Japan.
And then suddenly, twice in one year! Life, you're outrageous at times….
World Expo 2025 Osaka: Designing the Future
The reason for my return? The WA Dialogues at the Women’s Pavilion, in collaboration with Cartier, part of the grand choreography of Expo 2025, where over 160 countries are imagining the society of tomorrow, on Yumeshima, a reclaimed island. The Expo is housed within the record-beating Grand Ring, the world’s largest wooden structure using traditional Japanese techniques, a monument of sustainable ambition.
There, at the stunning Women’s Pavillon, I had the privilege of moderating two unforgettable sessions with women who are quite literally reshaping the cosmos and the climate.
Expanding Horizons: Pushing Boundaries in Space, Science & Society
We looked up, to the stars, literally as joining us on the first panel was the Americano-Vietnamese astronaut Amanda Nguyen, freshly landed from her Blue Origin spaceflight (you know, the one financed by Jeff Bezos). Amanda is not only a gifted scientist, but a civil rights activist, social entrepreneur, and founder/CEO of Rise, a nonprofit fighting for the rights of sexual assault survivors - she changed the law in the US!
The two hugely inspiring leaders also joining us were Aarti Holla-Maini, Director of UNOOSA (the UN body responsible for outer space affairs) and Mina Bernadoy, space engineer at Mitsubishi Electric.
These women, not coincidentally all with a multicultural background and unique life journey, are smashing stereotypes. What struck me most? Their vulnerability. It takes real strength as a leader to admit you are insecure and doubt at times - though we all know paradoxical feelings and ideas can cohabit in life. You can be strong and resilient, solid, with your eyes firmly set on a goal, and still question yourself intensely (I sure know!). And the key message is: space is about breaking boundaries. To get into the sector, these women have had to do just that and reject plans others had for them to fully accomplish themselves. And once you overcome the first barrier of either class, gender, geography, abuse, etc. - none of them seem difficult to overcome eventually. They succeeded, it wasn’t straightforward - they did it their way.
Caring for Biodiversity: New Paths in Nature Conservation
Later that day, we turned toward the Earth. The iconic Kenyan environmentalist Wanjira Mathai, daughter of the late Wangari Maathai, the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize, opened the conversation with a stirring keynote, reminding us that nature conservation and economically empowered and healthy communities go hand in hand. I loved spending time with her off stage (and Mina!) to discuss Mottainai, a Japanese concept-word that expresses a feeling of regret or reverence for waste, a deep-seated cultural value in Japan that encourages maximising the use of resources - amongst many other topics discussed of course! ;-)
And then: stories from the young leaders on the frontline: the 14 year old Japanese school girl Emma Hosoi on a mission to turn plastic waste into poetry, Chile’s Julieta Martínez Oyarzún Founder of Tremendas mixing Feminism and Climate change fight, and Australia’s Alinta Furnell, founder of Synbiote who is turning waste into a precious material and advancing research on bio-sourced materials.
From space to soil and sea, the energy was palpable - feminine power, empathy, desire for change, and an outpouring of love in every conversation.
We then all visited the stunning Women’s Pavilion - a space that feels both sacred and visionary, honouring women’s contributions across time, cultures, and disciplines. Thoughtfully curated and emotionally resonant.
From there, I wandered into the UK Pavilion, with high hopes... only to be met with one of the most baffling displays I’ve seen at a world expo: shockingly sparse, underwhelming, and soulless. A missed opportunity to showcase the country’s creative force, innovation, or cultural depth. An utter, disastrous flop.
The French Pavilion on the other hand…Titled pulsations, it was an elegant, innovative and fine tribute to France’s timeless strengths:
✨ Luxury & the Arts– with a Notre-Dame gargoyle, Rodin sculptures and Dior gowns on show
🍷 Gastronomy – celebrated through sensory storytelling and immersive experiences
🎒 Art de vivre – embodied in every detail, from a thousand-year-old olive tree to vintage Louis Vuitton trunks symbolising travel, memory, and savoir-faire.
There are also a number of stunning ‘signature’ pavilions where famous architects and designers were invited to express themselves with great impact!
Osaka, “the Nation’s Kitchen”
And then there’s Osaka itself - Japan’s third-largest city, but arguably its warmest in spirit. With a population of nearly 9 million in the metropolitan area, it combines the dynamic energy of a major business hub with a down-to-earth charm that sets it apart from Tokyo’s busy-ness and Kyoto’s refinement. Historically known as “the Nation’s Kitchen,” Osaka was the mercantile heart of Japan during the Edo period, a city built on trade, creativity, and resilience. Today, it remains a culinary capital, home to the famous takoyaki and okonomiyaki street food!
In the 2025 Global Liveability Index (Economist Intelligence Unit), Osaka ranks as the only Asian city in the top ten, 7th worldwide. Walking through its streets, you feel the liveability: clean, organised, but never sterile. There’s a human scale to Osaka, friendliness and authenticity.
Wandering Dōtonbori on foot, with its colourful displays, neon lights is a feast for the senses.
As for the Four Seasons… I am fortunate to enjoy amazingly generous hospitality from my clients, and this new branch of the famous hotel brand is simply the BEST I have ever experienced. Everything here is excellence and perfection.
Opened in 2024, it is a refined blend of modern luxury and traditional Japanese hospitality. The hotel features 175 modern rooms, including 21 exquisite ryokan-style suites. The design is a collaborative masterpiece by different architects and designers (Simplicity, Curiosity, and Design Studio Spin) with each space drawing inspiration from Osaka’s cultural layers - from tatami and hinoki baths to lacquered details and castle motifs. The vermillion of the lift is a nod to the colour of Torii gates.
The hotel is also home to L’abysse Osaka by Yannick Alleno. I sampled the Emotions Menu with wine and saké pairing. This was one of the BEST meals I have ever had...
Many thanks to chef Naoki Takahasi for his mastery and the wonderful staff for their attentive and warm service (below grating Karasumi, cured roe, delissssshhhh).
I cannot wait to return to Japan in just a few weeks, and share it with my family, to explore a country I feel such a deep connection to.
Until next week, with a heart full of gratitude and wanderlust,
Charlotte x
Envy you so much Japan! So many changes since I lived there in the ´90s. Do read The Chrysanthemum and the Sword by Ruth Benedict!
What a lovely story ! Can’t wait to catch up and visit this country perhaps one day