"I defeated the cancer cells!" "Making medicine seems tough, but it's so cool!" The event venue was bustling with families, and children's excited voices echoed throughout the hall. Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan is built on the concept of gathering the world's wisdom—including cutting-edge technologies—to create and share new ideas and "co-create" the society of the future. Chugai Pharmaceutical sponsored the "EXPO 2025 Osaka-Kansai World Expo inochi's Pay-It-Forward Week (Osaka Yumeshima, Gallery WEST)" and held CHUGAI DAY on June 29 during the Expo. In this article, we introduce the highlights of CHUGAI DAY and the Chugai employees who helped bring it to life. We also spoke with Dr. Yoshiki Sawa (Director, Osaka Keisatsu Hospital / Chairman, inochi Mirai Project), who supervises inochi's Pay-It-Forward, about his vision for the inochi Mirai Project.

The longest line at our exhibition area was for the XR game in the XR Theater—an immersive attraction combining a projection theater with AR glasses. Both adults and children were captivated by a shooting game that illustrated the differences between conventional anticancer agents and antibody-based medicines.

Another crowd favorite was the corner where visitors could learn about the process of delivering medicines to patients and experience the work involved in pharmaceutical manufacturing at a factory. Participants tried their hand at a simulated "vial visual inspection"—a step in the inspection process for vials, the small containers used for injectable drugs. One by one, they compared vials that included samples with foreign particle defects or appearance defects, trying to identify which ones were non-conforming.

In the simulation, participants searched for pre-planted defective vials among a set of five. In actual production, however, defective vials are detected at a rate of roughly one in tens of thousands. Participants carefully picked up each vial with focused expressions, examining them closely to ensure no foreign particles went unnoticed. Those who identified the defects correctly received a card-shaped certificate of completion.

CHUGAI DAY was primarily planned by MRs (Medical Representatives) from Chugai's Kansai Regional Branch. Built around the company's drug discovery concepts, the team took on the challenge of creating "a booth that would inspire visitors to share what they saw and experienced with the people around them." The simulated vial visual inspection, as well as the panels introducing the formulation of structurally complex antibodies and factory initiatives leveraging robotics for high-mix, low-volume production, were created by employees of Chugai Pharma Manufacturing, the group company responsible for Chugai's manufacturing operations. They carefully designed the experience so that even children could understand the rigorous inspection standards, and devised ways for visitors to safely handle the actual instruments used in the factory.

Employees who participated in the Expo project shared their reflections: "It was a refreshing experience to collaborate with colleagues from sales and manufacturing—departments we don't usually interact with—and build something together." "It gave me a renewed sense of how our work in pharmaceutical R&D and manufacturing actually reaches and impacts society."

Left: Dr. Yoshiki Sawa (Director, Osaka Keisatsu Hospital / Chairman, inochi Mirai Project) Right: Takato Shimauchi (Head of Customer Solutions, Chugai Pharmaceutical)

This exhibition was made possible through a collaboration with the inochi Mirai Project. Dr. Yoshiki Sawa, Chairman of the project, shared his thoughts: "For 40 years as a cardiovascular surgeon, I operated from morning to night, saving lives. Yet I've come to feel that the fact we are alive today is, in a sense, a matter of 'chance.' In 2014, I founded the inochi Mirai Project with like-minded colleagues to drive social innovation that cherishes life. We write 'inochi' in romanized Japanese intentionally—to express that it is not simply 'life' in the biological sense. It embodies the idea of living each moment fully so that we may face a fulfilling end. Through the Expo, I hope 'inochi' will become a word understood and embraced around the world."

Takato Shimauchi, Head of Customer Solutions at Chugai, who oversaw CHUGAI DAY, reflected: "When Dr. Sawa first told me about this project, I immediately thought about how Chugai—a company dedicated to contributing to patients through drug discovery and development—could find an opportunity to support this kind of social initiative. I'm delighted that we were able to come together through our sponsorship of the Expo. I hope this experience encourages our employees to look outward toward social engagement, and that through the power of entertainment and co-creation, our aspiration to help every life shine around the world comes through."

Dr. Sawa also expressed his hopes for the next generation: "Just as the 1970 Osaka Expo inspired me, I hope this Expo will be a place where today's children can truly feel that 'science is society's game changer.' I look forward to seeing the children who experienced the power of inochi and science here go on to lead the future of medicine and healthcare."

CHUGAI DAY welcomed approximately 2,000 visitors. The strong turnout was a tremendous source of pride for everyone involved. We will continue to expand our efforts to contribute to the society of the future.