Mother and Son Uncover Hidden 1970 Osaka Expo Relic

A dedicated mother and her young son have successfully located a notoriously difficult-to-find pavilion marker from the 1970 Japan World Exposition, known as Expo '70, situated within the grounds of the Expo '70 Commemorative Park in Osaka. The discovery, which involved tracking down a stone plate dedicated to the Asian Development Bank, has drawn widespread attention on social media after being shared online.

The search was led by a woman identified as Nachiko, who has spent years documenting the remnants of the historic international event alongside her son. Her son's fascination with the 1970 exposition began around the third grade after an initial family visit to the park. Since starting their photographic collection in 2022, the pair has gathered images of 54 different pavilion markers scattered throughout the park.

Finding the Asian Development Bank marker proved to be their most challenging endeavor yet. Although they consulted historical maps from 1970 and checked location details on a video-sharing platform beforehand, the stone plate was partially buried and heavily obscured by soil, fallen leaves, and overgrown vegetation.

Describing the search, Nachiko noted that the marker looked as though it had been discovered deep inside a jungle. She explained that the stone is virtually invisible unless someone is actively searching for it, stating that the object can only be found by someone who already knows it is there.

Upon finally spotting the marker half-submerged in the park's landscaping, Nachiko recalled shouting out in excitement. She pointed out that summer vegetation makes the hunt considerably harder, suggesting that winter is a much more favorable season for spotting the obscured historical items due to the reduced foliage.

The park is believed to contain approximately 90 pavilion markers in total, leaving many more yet to be documented by the pair. Alongside the Asian Development Bank site, the family has faced significant difficulties locating markers for the United Nations pavilion, the Belgian pavilion, and an Argentine pavilion plate tucked underneath a shop bench.

Despite the physical challenges and the overgrowth resembling a remote wilderness, the mother and son intend to continue their quest. Armed with historical maps from 1970, they plan to keep searching the park grounds until they have successfully documented every remaining pavilion marker.