Japan to Reuse Osaka Expo’s Grand Ring Timber for Housing Recovery

Timber from the Grand Ring, the symbolic centerpiece of the World Exposition in Osaka, will be reused for public housing to support recovery efforts in Ishikawa Prefecture after last year’s earthquake and heavy rain, The Japan Times reported (10-2-25).

The city of Suzu, one of the areas hardest hit by the disasters, will receive the dismantled timber from the world’s largest wooden architectural structure free of charge after the expo closes on October 13.

“We want to carry on the expo’s legacy and make it a symbol of our recovery,” a Suzu city official said.

Constructed with Japanese cedar and cypress, the Grand Ring spans roughly two kilometers. About 200 meters of the loop will remain on the expo grounds under a preservation plan.