Project Story

The Vision Behind “Plant the Seeds. Grow Our Future.”: Envisioning the Future at GREEN×EXPO 2027

For more than 110 years, Sakata Seed Corporation has delivered plants and seeds to people around the world. What vision does the company bring to GREEN×EXPO 2027, the International Horticultural Expo 2027? Three project leaders discuss the background to the exhibition, the message embodied in its concept, and Sakata Seed Corporation’s enduring passion in seed.

Yoshiyuki Hamada

Sakata Seed Corporation
Project Lead, International Horticultural Expo 2027

Joined Sakata Seed Corporation in 2005. After building his career in overseas sales, including approximately seven years stationed in the United States, he returned to Japan and later transferred to the Corporate Communications Department. He currently leads Sakata Seed Corporation’s GREEN×EXPO 2027 exhibition project. He oversees the project as a whole, including development of the exhibition concept and public relations activities, and promotes collaboration with stakeholders in Japan and overseas. Drawing on SAKATA Group’s global perspective and network, he works to communicate the company’s brand value and messages.
Toshihide Shimizu

Corporate Officer, Sakata Seed Corporation
Deputy Project Leader, International Horticultural Expo 2027

Joined Sakata Seed Corporation in 1987. He has extensive experience in landscaping and horticultural businesses and agricultural materials, and has held leadership positions including General Manager of the Solutions Division, General Manager of the Corporate Communications Department, and Deputy General Manager of the Corporate Management Division. He currently serves as an Outside Director of Sakata Green Service Co., Ltd. As deputy leader of the GREEN×EXPO 2027 exhibition project, he manages overall progress and coordinates with related parties. Drawing on his long industry experience and broad professional network, he has helped drive the project since its launch and supports smooth project operations by connecting stakeholders inside and outside the company.
Tomohiro Ishikawa

Director, Sakata Green Service Co., Ltd.
Deputy Project Leader / Head of Garden Exhibition, International Horticultural Expo 2027

Joined the company in 2001. As a plant professional, he has worked extensively in horticultural and landscaping projects using flowers, trees, turf, and vegetables. He currently serves as a Director of Sakata Green Service Co., Ltd., where he creates green landscapes for commercial facilities, parks, sports facilities, and other spaces. For the GREEN×EXPO 2027 exhibition project, he serves as deputy leader and head of the garden exhibition, overseeing the planning, design, and operation of the garden area. Drawing on his extensive experience in plant-based spatial design, he aims to create an exhibition that conveys the distinctive appeal of SAKATA Group to visitors. As one of the original members involved from the project’s launch, he has also led the development of the exhibition vision.

More Than 110 Years Devoted to Seeds:

An Enduring Commitment to Quality

Hamada: Sakata Seed Corporation is embarking on a major challenge as it prepares for GREEN×EXPO 2027. Seeds are at the heart of the concept. What do the two of you find most fascinating about them?

Ishikawa: Seeds may seem like a niche subject to many people. Yet even the turf in sports stadiums is grown from seed, with many different varieties selected for particular uses and environments. The vegetables we eat and the flowers that brighten our cities also begin with seeds. Seeds may not stand out, but they support our daily lives in so many familiar places. That, to me, is what makes them fascinating.

Shimizu: Because seeds are living things, they do not always behave as we expect, and that is part of their depth and fascination. I grow vegetables in a field myself, and no matter how many times I experience it, I am always delighted when a small sprout emerges a few days after sowing. At the same time, it is deeply disappointing when a seed does not germinate. That is precisely why we feel responsible for ensuring that the seeds we deliver germinate reliably.

Ishikawa: Exactly. There is also a once-in-a-lifetime quality to the way plants grow. We are conducting repeated cultivation trials for GREEN×EXPO 2027, but plants take on different appearances depending on the climate that year and the environmental conditions at the venue. Being able to show visitors a landscape that can exist only in that particular moment is another attraction of this project.

Hamada: Another fascinating aspect is that seeds are small and easy to transport, allowing them to reach people around the world. Soil and climate differ from one country and region to another, so even the same variety grows and appears slightly differently in each place. Yet when I see tiny seeds of the same variety crossing borders and flowering in different parts of the world, I feel that seeds have the power to connect people and places. And when customers purchase a tiny seed before it has even sprouted, they do so because of the trust in quality that we have built over many years.

Shimizu: Our founder, Takeo Sakata, established the company principles of “Quality, Reliability, and Service.” Quality comes first because the value of seeds cannot be judged by appearance alone. Whether they will germinate and what kinds of flowers or vegetables they will produce can only be known by growing them. If there is a problem with quality, it can undo an entire year of effort by growers and gardeners.

Hamada: Before shipment, we not only conduct germination tests but also grow the plants to confirm that the flowers and fruits develop as promised to customers. These accumulated efforts have built the trust we have earned over more than 110 years. Through the stage offered by GREEN×EXPO 2027, we want to share the appeal of seeds and our commitment to quality with as many people as possible.

How the Concept Was Born:

The Vision Embodied in Seeds That Nurture the Future

Hamada: Mr. Shimizu, what was the first challenge when this project began?

Shimizu: This is our first large-scale exhibition since the International Garden and Greenery Exposition held in Osaka in 1990. However, not enough detailed materials remained to guide the planning and operation of this event, so we truly had to start from scratch. We take pride in being one of Japan’s leading seed companies, but we had limited experience creating an event of this scale. We worked through every question by trial and error, from how to determine the concept to how many people would be needed. At the same time, because there was no predetermined format, we also found it exciting to take on the challenge freely with our own ideas.

Ishikawa: It is rare to see a project that brings together so many departments and group companies around a single goal. Every time we hold discussions, I am inspired to see how deeply everyone cares about our seeds and plants and how proud they are of them. Being part of this team is itself an invaluable opportunity.

Hamada: The concept that emerged from those passionate discussions was “Plant the Seeds. Grow Our Future.” We interviewed the departments involved and gathered their aspirations for each exhibition. Although several proposals were considered, everyone shared a strong desire to place seeds at the heart of the concept.

Plant the Seeds.
Grow Our Future.

How much potential lies within a single, tiny seed?
We've spent more than a century discovering the answer.

Seeds are the very beginning of all beginnings.
They sprout, take root, and bring flowers and vegetables into our lives.
They enrich the way we live and, at times, even shape cultures and values.
Seeds have connected life from the past to the present — and the seeds you plant today will keep growing into the future.

For more than 110 years, Sakata Seed Corporation has connected people and plants around the world.
At GREEN×EXPO 2027, we hope visitors will experience not only the beauty and wonder of plants, but also the fascination and potential of seeds themselves.

Everyone carries a "seed of beginnings" within them.
Let us plant these seeds together, nurture them, and grow a better future.

Shimizu: That is right. We also discussed the importance of language that would intuitively communicate what we aim to achieve and what kind of change we hope to create for the future.

Hamada: There were also passionate exchanges with our colleagues overseas when we developed the English concept, “Plant the Seeds. Grow Our Future.”

Shimizu: “Shape” was initially considered as a candidate, but our overseas colleagues suggested that “Grow” would be more appropriate. I believe the result is a concept that is true to who we are, conveying our desire to nurture a better future together with people around the world.

Hamada: It also resonates with the key statement of our long-term management plan PASSION2035, announced in July: “Cultivating Tomorrow’s Harvest with You.” The act of cultivating and the concept of nurturing the future come together to create a foundation for communicating a consistent message across the Group.

See, Discover, and Imagine:

A New Landscape with Every Visit

Shimizu: I also like the line in the concept copy, “Seeds are the very beginning of all beginnings.” Whenever people begin a new challenge, there is always a seed of intention within them. The message refers not only to plant seeds, but also to seeds as the starting point for creating a new future. It has become body copy that communicates a universal message.

Hamada: These concepts and the body copy are closely connected with each of the GREEN×EXPO 2027 exhibitions. The program comprises Sakata Seed Corporation’s special exhibition hall, garden exhibition, and limited-time indoor exhibitions, as well as a garden exhibition by our group company, Sakata Green Service Co., Ltd. Seeds connect all of the exhibitions.

Shimizu: The theme of the special exhibition hall is “Seed Journey.” It will present the wonder and appeal of seeds through a variety of interactive exhibits. The garden exhibition, themed “Hyakka-Sairan: A Celebration of Flowers and Vegetables,” will feature four themed gardens. The plantings will be changed with the seasons, gradually transforming the floral displays and theme colors throughout the Expo.

Ishikawa: The Sakata Green Service garden exhibition is themed “An Ideal Way of Living in Harmony with Nature.” Following the flow of a biotope stream, the scenery will transition from vibrant plantings of colorful perennials and annuals to naturalistic plantings of trees and wild plants native to Yokohama. Through spaces combining plants, a biotope, and elements of everyday living, the garden will propose a future in which people live in harmony with nature. Limited-time indoor exhibitions will also be held in May and July, each with different content. As the plants change throughout the Expo, visitors will be able to make new discoveries every time they return.

Hamada: We recommend starting at the special exhibition hall to discover the wonder of seeds. After thinking, “Seeds are fascinating,” visitors may find the flowers and plants in the garden even more intriguing. Plants also change with the weather, and discovering the special appeal of a rainy day is another way to enjoy the exhibitions.

Ishikawa: At the center of the garden exhibition, we will install a large sculptural feature named “Future Bloom.” Its motif is a flower of the future that does not yet exist anywhere in the world. Precisely because it is not a real flower, each visitor can freely imagine what flowers may bloom in the future and what kind of relationship people and plants may build. It is an open-ended exhibit that allows a different story to emerge for every viewer.

From Osaka 1990 to Yokohama 2027:

A Better Future Growing from a Single Seed

Hamada: What do you hope visitors will take away from the experience? I hope the special exhibition hall will help them discover the power held within seeds, while the garden will allow them to experience the vitality of life. Through this sequence of experiences, I hope we can create an opportunity for visitors to consider coexistence with nature and a society that supports well-being.

Shimizu: I agree. I would be delighted if discovering the many attractions of plants leads to a small realization such as, “I would like to bring more plants into my daily life.” In my third year with the company, I participated in the International Garden and Greenery Exposition as an assistant responsible for maintaining our exhibition plantings. I still remember the Himalayan blue poppies displayed as living plants at the Sakuya Konohana Kan and the specimen of Rafflesia, introduced at the Government Pavilion as one of the world’s largest flowers. I was amazed that such flowers existed and discovered the excitement of encountering unfamiliar plants. After the Expo, the word “gardening” became widely known, and perceptions of how to enjoy horticulture and its value changed significantly. I hope GREEN×EXPO 2027 can similarly help spark a new movement.

Ishikawa: I also hope our group employees will be inspired just as Mr. Shimizu was at the time. We want to sow many different “seeds” within the company as well. I hope that taking on this major project will itself become a driving force for new ideas and challenges.

Hamada: I hope that ripple effect will spread throughout the industry. The agriculture and horticulture sector is at a major turning point, facing challenges such as rising production costs and sluggish demand. That is why we want to fulfill our role as a seed company and work with growers, exhibitors, and other stakeholders to build excitement for GREEN×EXPO 2027. We hope it will become an opportunity to share the appeal of horticulture and the value of plants with more people and contribute to revitalizing the industry as a whole.

Shimizu: The social challenges we face today cannot be solved by a single company. We hope that beautiful flowers and greenery will encourage more people to recognize the potential of plants and inspire companies to join forces in addressing social issues. We hope the new “seeds” sown at GREEN×EXPO 2027 will mark the very beginning of a better future. GREEN×EXPO 2027 is not the goal, but the starting line for a new future.

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