Groundbreaking ceremony of the Luxembourg pavilion at EXPO 2025 Osaka

On 25 January, Arnaud De Meyer represented STDM as part of the Luxembourg delegation to Japan for the Ji Chin Sai of the Luxembourg pavilion as part of the World Expo to be held in Osaka in 2025. Luxembourg is therefore the first participating country to hold this ceremony!
This ritual, also known as “ground breaking”, is a traditional Japanese ceremony that takes place before any new building is constructed. Literally meaning “pacification of the soil”. These are rites of purification and restoration of harmony designed to express gratitude and respect to the Kami (deity, spirit), to ask for their protection during the work and to pray for the health and prosperity of those who will set foot in the new building.
The highlight of this ceremony is when the project representatives ‘break the ground’ by cutting the grass at the top of the mountain with a sickle, removing stones with a hoe and digging up the ground with a spade.