Czech Expo 2025 mascot honours glassmaker René Roubíček’s legacy
With Expo 2025 fast approaching, the Czech team is focused on achieving a success reminiscent of the 1970 Expo in Osaka. Back then, René Roubíček, the legendary Czech glassmaker, showcased his groundbreaking work, which made a lasting impression. To honor his legacy, the organizers have created a mascot for the Czech representation, named after him, which is already gaining attention in Japan. I met with Ondřej Soška, the General Commissioner of the Czech Participation, during his brief visit to Prague, to talk about the mascot and its connection to Roubíček’s legacy.
So first of all, how did the idea for this year's mascot originate?
“Well, the story was pretty long, you know. As you know, mascots are very popular in Japan. From the very beginning, we were thinking about what kind of mascot the Czech participation at Expo 2025 would use. Of course, we have very famous figures such as Krteček or Bob and Bobek, and many others. But we were looking for something slightly different.
“And especially after the success of the mascot of Expo 2025, Myaku Myaku, we started to search for a figure or creature that would somehow be connected to this. We visited a number of galleries and places, really spending time figuring out and searching for mascots, because we also wanted to link it to the legacy of the successful Czechoslovakian participation in the Expo 1970 in Osaka.
“And then we found a glass sculpture made by Mr. René Roubíček. We fell in love with it. We contacted Mr. Roubíček’s daughter, Michaela Lesařová Roubíčková, and agreed to use this sculpture and name it the official Czech mascot. That's the story behind it.”
So can you introduce us to René? I understand he is a sort of cosmic being or something like that...
“We call him Exponaut because he’s kind of an explorer of the World Expo. That’s why we call him Exponaut. He’s a funny and friendly creature, much like Mr. Roubíček, who was a very friendly person.
“We believe that the design of the Exponaut also resembles the official mascot of Expo 2025, Miyaku Miyaku. We think our mascots will become best friends at Expo 2025. So, we created a story around this, and it has become very popular in Japan. The Japanese audience really loves it.”
When creating the plush version of this mascot, did you cooperate with Mr. Roubíček's daughter?
“The original mascot is made of crystal glass. We wanted to create a plush toy to make it more accessible, especially for kids.”
“Yes, indeed. Of course, the original figure or mascot is made of crystal glass—it’s a beautiful sculpture. But we were thinking about how to make it more accessible to the public. A glass sculpture is quite luxurious and unique, so it wouldn't be for everyone.
“We wanted to create a plush toy to make it more accessible, especially for kids. We designed the plush version in the colour of uranium glass, which is another type of glass Mr. Roubíček worked with. That's why we made the plush version in this style, and of course, we cooperated with Ms. Michala Roubíčková to create it together.”
And is this plush toy already available for sale in Japan?
“It's not yet available for sale. We’ve manufactured some initial series and conducted tests to see how the audience would react. Fortunately, we’ve received very positive feedback, but we are talking about Expo, which starts on April 13, 2025. The mascot and plush versions of the mascot, along with other gift items, will be available for sale at the Czech National Pavilion.”
Who manufactures these plush versions?
“These plush versions are manufactured by a Czech company called Hamiro in North Bohemia. It’s a very nice figure, made here in the Czech Republic. We’ve also received good feedback from the Czech audience, so I’m sure it will be available for sale in Czechia as well.”
The original sculpture by René Roubíček was created in the 1950s. Will this original actually travel to Expo 2025?
“Yes, we are planning to bring the original piece to Expo 2025. It will be presented during the visitor's journey at the Czech National Pavilion.”
Talking about René Roubíček, can you tell us a bit more about his contribution to Expo 1970 and about the sculpture Cloud Water?
“Well, as you might know, Mr. Roubíček is a very famous glass artist. Indeed, he was involved in the Czechoslovakian participation at Expo 1970. He created the beautiful glass-cloud concept, which became an important part of the visitor's journey. The pavilion was considered one of the most successful pavilions at the entire Expo 1970.
“Mr. Roubíček showed the Japanese audience that glass could also be used for funky objects and unusual artistic pieces.”
“So, of course, he became very popular in Japan, where he helped popularize glass as an art form. Before that, glass wasn’t considered a design piece—it was mostly used as a technical material. But Mr. Roubíček showed the Japanese audience that glass could also be used for funky objects and unusual artistic pieces.
“So Mr. Roubíček was definitely an important figure, and we’re very happy that he’ll be the only artist in the world to be presented at both Expos in Osaka.”
What happened to the sculpture after Expo 1970 ended?
“Well, after Expo 1970 ended, all the exhibits stayed in Japan because, as you might know, the Czechoslovakian presentation was a bit controversial, because the artists presented their opposition to the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968.
“Unlike Expo 1958 in Brussels, the exhibits weren’t communicated back to Czechoslovakia. So all the exhibits remained in Japan, and Mr. Roubíček’s piece was transferred to a hotel in Kagoshima City on Kyushu Island, where it stayed until two years ago when the new hotel owner decided to remove it.
“Then, Lasvit, a Czech brand in glass design, brought it back to the Czech Republic, and now they’re refurbishing it and giving it new life. So it’s a fantastic story.”
You’ve already mentioned the positive feedback you’ve received from the Japanese public. Can you tell us more about that? What kind of reactions have you had?
“Well, we introduced our mascot in Japan last year during a press conference in May, and we received very positive reactions—not only from journalists but also on social media. We were extremely surprised when the Japanese press agency Nikkei evaluated our mascot as the most visited and most important news for Expo 2025 in Japan last year.
“It became incredibly popular, and we are very happy that the idea of our mascots becoming friends resonated so strongly with the Japanese people. We’re receiving a lot of positive feedback and requests for the plush toy, so we believe it will be very successful during Expo 2025.”
Is there anything else you would like to add before we end?
“Well, Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai will be one of the greatest events of this decade, and I would really like to invite all your listeners to consider coming to Japan. Now is the best time to stop by, and Expo 2025 will be an amazing experience.”
Well, I hope the Czech presentation will be as successful as its mascot. Thanks again for coming and talking about it.
“Thank you very much for your invitation. We are trying our best, and we hope we will represent our country in the best possible way. Thank you.”
