When will 'Future of Life+' be held?

Opening on July 25, 2026. The closing date will be announced later on the official website.

Is this exhibition suitable for children?

Yes. Family-friendly content including kids' merchandise and workshops is available.

Do I need a reservation for the android dialogue experience?

Yes. A special ticket is required for the 'Natsume Android 2.0' experience. Advance booking recommended.

Can I buy the guidebook or workbook outside the venue?

Pre-sales are venue-exclusive. General release plans are undecided.

How do I access MoN Takanawa?

Directly connected to 'Takanawa Gateway Station' on the JR Yamanote Line. Very accessible from central Tokyo.

The Expo Experience Comes to Tokyo: Hiroshi Ishiguro's 'Future of Life+' Opens July 25, Featuring Talk Show with Ryogo Aihara!

Published Jul 15, 2026 2:01 AM ・ Updated Jul 14, 2026 7:49 PM ・ 14 min read ・ Source: PR TIMES

Following its acclaim at the Osaka-Kansai Expo, Hiroshi Ishiguro's 'Future of Life' exhibition is upgraded and relocated to Tokyo's MoN Takanawa as 'Future of Life+'. The immersive experience features advanced androids, dialogue sessions with the 'Natsume Android 2.0', and a special talk show with media artist Ryogo Aihara, inviting visitors to explore the essence of life.

MoN Takanawa: The Museum of Narratives (Minato City, Tokyo; operated by the JR East Japan Foundation for Cultural Creation) will host 'Future of Life+ (read: Inochi no Mirai Plus)', an upgraded version of Hiroshi Ishiguro's 'Future of Life'—a signature pavilion highly acclaimed at the Osaka-Kansai Expo. This exhibition is co-hosted with ATR's Institute of Future Life and PARCO Co., Ltd., as part of the museum's opening commemoration program.

Under the supervision of Hiroshi Ishiguro (Professor at Osaka University and Visiting Director at ATR's Institute of Future Life), a pioneer in robotics and android research, this exhibition preserves the profound emotional impact of the Expo while introducing a new scenario that invites visitors to confront 'the choices of life’s future.' The latest androids, including Yamatoroid and Future Momo—beloved by Expo attendees—will move their stage to Takanawa, Tokyo, creating an even more evolved experiential journey.

Throughout the exhibition period, various events such as talk shows and workshops will be held, along with the sale of original goods including drills and exhibition catalogs. By bridging science and the humanities, this initiative offers a thought-provoking intellectual experience that challenges visitors of all generations to reflect on the fundamental questions of 'what it means to be alive.'

©FUTURE OF LIFE©FUTURE OF LIFE©FUTURE OF LIFE

*Co-produced in commemoration of the 150th anniversary of Nisshinkan Gakuen. A separate dedicated ticket is required for participation.

Dialogue Experience with the 'Natsume Android 2.0'

As a new initiative, this exhibition introduces an interactive dialogue experience with androids, deepening visitors’ personal reflections on 'the future of life' through immersive engagement. The android modeled after Natsume Soseki (a graduate of Nisshinkan) has been further advanced with cutting-edge AI, enabling autonomous conversations and answering questions about Soseki in its own words. *Co-produced in commemoration of the 150th anniversary of Nisshinkan Gakuen. A separate dedicated ticket is required for participation.

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Talk Event Featuring Ryogo Aihara

©FUTURE OF LIFE

Centered on the exhibition’s fundamental questions—'What is humanity?' and 'What is life?'—this talk event will feature Ryogo Aihara, producer of the Osaka-Kansai Expo’s theme program, offering unique insights into the philosophy of life presented by Hiroshi Ishiguro’s android research.

Date: August 6, 2026 (Thu) (tentative)

Venue: Inside MoN Takanawa: The Museum of Narratives

Participants:

Hiroshi Ishiguro (Professor, Osaka University / Visiting Director, ATR Institute of Future Life)

Ryogo Aihara (Media Artist)

*Event details and participation methods will be announced later on the official website.

'Drill: Future of Life – 30 Questions to Reflect on Life'

In conjunction with the exhibition, an original workbook titled 'Drill: Future of Life' will be published, encouraging visitors to ponder 'What is life?' and 'What will life become in the future?' This special workbook is designed for parents and children to explore these profound questions together. Additionally, experiential workshops for families using the workbook are currently being planned. Further details will be announced on the official website and social media.

Release Date: Early August onward, available for advance sale at the 'Future of Life+' venue

Author: Institute of Future Life

Price: ¥1,760 (tax included)

ISBN: 978-4-86506-491-9

Size: Modified A5 (190mm × 148mm)

Pages: 80

Publisher: PARCO Co., Ltd. (PARCO Publishing)

'Future of Life: Official Exhibition Catalog'

We can live the lives we wish to live.

Relive the unforgettable experience of the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo through this visual book.

_If androids were part of daily life, what would you ask them to do? What would you want to do together?

_If physical, spatial, and temporal constraints disappeared, what would you want to challenge? What kind of life would you want to lead?

A fresh, intellectually stimulating experience that challenges the very roots of life across generations. This visual book allows you to retrace the captivating future narratives that enchanted Expo visitors, using the latest android technology to probe the question: 'What is life?' While positioned as an exhibition catalog, this is the first-ever publication to visually present Hiroshi Ishiguro’s research in book form.

Release Date: Advance sale from July 25 at the 'Future of Life+' venue

Author: Hiroshi Ishiguro

Price: ¥3,300 (tax included)

ISBN: 978-4-86506-489-6

Size: Modified A4 (297mm × 225mm)

Pages: 112

Publisher: PARCO Co., Ltd. (PARCO Publishing)

Expanded Lineup of Popular Original Goods from the Expo

In addition to re-releasing select popular items previously sold at the 'Future of Life' pavilion during the Expo, new exclusive original goods will be available only at this exhibition.

Featuring fresh designs inspired by key androids such as 'Yamatoroid'—used as the key visual—as well as 'Punica,' 'Pansy,' and 'Petra,' the collection includes both affordable souvenirs and daily-use items perfect for visitors to take home as mementos.

Original T-shirts will also be available in kids’ sizes, making it enjoyable for the whole family.

Top-left

〇 T-shirt: Punica, Petra, Pansy

Sizes: 110, 140, S, M, L, XL

Price:

110, 140: ¥3,500 (tax included)

S, M, L, XL: ¥5,500 (tax included)

Top-right

〇 T-shirt: Key Visual

Sizes: S, M, L, XL

Price: S, M, L, XL: ¥5,500 (tax included)

Bottom-left

〇 Bandana

Price: ¥2,800 (tax included)

Bottom-right

〇 Perfume: millenniums

Price: ¥3,850 (tax included)

*For more details, please visit the official website.

Androids Featured in the Exhibition

・Yamatoroid

Appearing in 'ZONE2: The Future 50 Years From Now,' Yamatoroid is an avatar android embodying the Japanese spirit. With approximately 60 movable joints, its smooth, lifelike movements represent a future where humans and androids coexist.

・Momo

Standing in 'ZONE3: Life 1,000 Years From Now – Mahoroba,' Momo represents the evolved human—'Millennium Human'—in a distant future where the boundary between androids and living humans has vanished. Her organic texture, achieved through full-body silicone skin, soft, lifelike clothing, and floating-like motions combining rotation, vertical, and horizontal movement, gently stirs visitors’ imaginations.

Various other androids will also appear. With new scenarios added, the exhibition deepens the dialogue around the fundamental question: 'What is life?'

【Event Overview】Future of Life+

Period: July 25, 2026 (Fri) – (TBD)

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Source: PR TIMES
Category: Event

The Expo Experience Comes to Tokyo: Hiroshi Ishiguro's 'Future of Life+' Opens July 25, Featuring Talk Show with Ryogo Aihara!

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