Osaka-Kansai Expo Legacy 'LIFE® Inochi' Goes Global: Officially Invited to 80th Anniversary Ceremony of Peace Sanctuary CAUX Foundation in Switzerland

The "INOCHI WORLD PROJECT," promoted by Feel&Sense (Location: Chuo-ku, Kobe; Co-representatives: Sayaka Hashimoto, Masahiko Hashimoto), has been officially invited to the 80th anniversary commemorative ceremony of the CAUX Foundation (Switzerland), a global dialogue hub of the international NGO "Initiatives of Change (IofC)." A special performance will be held at Caux Palace on July 20, 2026.

CAUX Foundation, Switzerland

Since 1946, CAUX has served as a venue for post-war European reconstruction and trust-building, bringing together many politicians, citizens, and artists. It is known as an international stage for dialogue that particularly fostered reconciliation between France and Germany. In 1950, a delegation of about 60 representatives from Japan, including mayors from Hiroshima and Nagasaki, visited to learn about peace and reconciliation.

The invitation of a Japanese art project born from the Osaka-Kansai Expo to this milestone 80th-anniversary ceremony, where children from Japan, Switzerland, Germany, France, and other countries will co-perform on the theme of "life," holds significant meaning as a symbolic initiative for the international expansion of the Expo's legacy.

To date, politicians, citizens, religious leaders, business people, and youth from around the world have gathered at CAUX to build dialogue and trust. - From materials conveying the history of CAUX.

The Japanese delegation dispatched to CAUX in 1950 under the Katayama cabinet included the mayors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In 1961, former Prime Ministers Nobusuke Kishi and Takeo Fukuda also visited this place. - From materials conveying the history of post-war Japan and CAUX.

The performance will include a screening of the visual work "LIFE® Inochi," which depicts the connection from the birth of the universe to the birth of life, followed by a reading and song by Masahiko Hashimoto, and a joint chorus "Inochi / INOCHI" by children from Japan, Switzerland, Germany, France, and other countries. This song is also the theme song for the "Inochi Kaigi" (Life Conference), organized by the three Kansai economic organizations with Osaka University at its center for the Osaka-Kansai Expo. During the event, experiential programs and dialogues on the theme of "life" will also be held with children gathered at CAUX from various countries.

Osaka-Kansai Expo EXPO Hall 'LIFE® Inochi with Super Kids Orchestra' - All 3 performances with approximately 6,000 seats booked early and sold out.

The Super Kids Orchestra, led by world-renowned conductor Yutaka Sado, will perform live accompaniment to the "LIFE® Inochi" visuals and narration.

Background of the Invitation: Expo Legacy to the "Land of Reconciliation"

"LIFE® Inochi" culminated in the stage program "LIFE® Inochi with Super Kids Orchestra," performed at the EXPO Hall "Shine Hat" as a cooperative event of the Japan Association for the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo. The performance, which fused visuals, music, narration, and chorus, featured live music by the Super Kids Orchestra and a chorus of approximately 200 children, including those who have experienced serious illnesses or school refusal. All 3 performances, with a total of approximately 6,000 seats, were booked and sold out early.

Since 1946, CAUX has been a venue where politicians, citizens, religious leaders, business people, and youth from various countries have gathered and built dialogue and trust as a base for IofC's activities. After World War II, it became one of the stages for dialogue that fostered reconciliation between France and Germany, and has since supported peacebuilding efforts worldwide. Many individuals from Japan, including the mayors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, have visited to learn about reconciliation and peace. The invitation of an Expo-born project to the commemorative ceremony of the CAUX Foundation, which will celebrate its 80th anniversary in 2026, is a symbolic event for the international expansion of the Expo's legacy.

A live-action image of a fetus used in the "LIFE® Inochi" visuals. Both the fetus and the starlike light spreading in the background are actual live-action footage filmed inside the womb. The beginning of life is filled with a mystery akin to the universe.

An Immersive Art Experience Traveling from the Birth of the Universe to the Birth of Life

Extending Over 10 Years of Activity

The INOCHI WORLD PROJECT was not newly established for the Expo. Sayaka and Masahiko Hashimoto, artists based in Kobe, have been creating works on the theme of "life" for over a decade. They have co-created educational programs with national universities, engaged in healthcare art in collaboration with medical institutions and communities, organized events such as the 1250th anniversary of Kobo Daishi's birth at Koyasan, and held dedication and performance activities at sacred sites across the country. The Expo's philosophy, "Designing Future Society for Our Lives," deeply resonates with their accumulated efforts and has become a turning point for expanding their activities from Japan to the world.

Messages of Support from the Embassy of Japan in Switzerland, Consulate General of Germany, etc.

This project has received many messages of support from both within Japan and internationally.

Warm messages have been delivered by figures involved in peace and cultural exchange on the international stage, including Ambassador Toshiro Iijima of the Embassy of Japan in Switzerland, Consul General Melanie Saxinger of the Federal Republic of Germany in Osaka-Kobe, and CAUX Foundation Executive Director Ignacio Packer. The words received, transcending national borders, cultures, and positions, indicate a growing resonance with the universal theme of "INOCHI."

*Full text of support messages can be found on the official website:

https://www.feelandsense.co/internationalpeaceinitiative

Co-Representative Comments

Children are conveying "life" to adults. Since when did we forget the preciousness of "life" and gratitude for simply being alive? Japan possesses a sensibility that respects life, supports each other, and passes it on to the next generation within connections with nature and people. Through art and music, we want to share this sensibility with people around the world and create a space where we can feel the preciousness of life together, transcending borders and cultures.

Sayaka and Masahiko Hashimoto

Event Overview

Event Name: CAUX Foundation 80th Anniversary Ceremony Special Performance

Date: July 20, 2026

Venue: Caux Palace, Switzerland

Organizer: CAUX Foundation (Initiatives of Change)

Performers/Production: Feel&Sense (INOCHI WORLD PROJECT)

Content: Screening of "LIFE® Inochi," narration and song, joint chorus "Inochi / INOCHI" by children from Japan, Switzerland, Germany, France, etc., and more.

Starting with this initiative in Switzerland, this project aims to expand globally as an international peace exchange art project themed around "life," with developments planned for the Japan Cultural Centre in Paris in 2027 and the 170th anniversary of Franco-Japanese friendship in 2028.

About INOCHI WORLD PROJECT

An international cultural project launched with the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo as a catalyst. It aims to create experiences that feel "INOCHI" in various locations around the world through visuals, music, art, education, and international exchange, connecting people to people, people to nature, and future generations.

About Feel&Sense

A creative organization with the philosophy of "connecting people to people, people to nature, and people to the world through art." It develops projects integrating visuals, music, art, education, and international exchange both domestically and internationally, and presented "LIFE® Inochi" at the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo.

Media Inquiries

Organization Name: Feel&Sense

Address: 4-18-13 Yatsude-dori, Chuo-ku, Kobe, 650-0004

Phone: 078-600-0797

E-mail: info@feelandsense.co

Web: https://www.feelandsense.co / https://inochiworldproject.com / https://www.life-planetarium.com

Press Materials: Performance photos/videos, speaker profiles, etc., are available. Please contact us at the above.

"LIFE® Inochi" is a registered trademark of Feel&Sense.