OSAKA – Timber used in the Grand Ring, a symbol of the World Exposition in Osaka, will be reused for public housing to aid recovery from last year’s strong earthquake and heavy rain in Ishikawa Prefecture, people familiar with the matter said Thursday. Suzu, an Ishikawa city heavily damaged in the disasters, will receive the dismantled timber from the world’s largest wooden architectural structure free of charge after the expo closes on Oct. 13. “We want to carry on the expo’s legacy and make it a symbol of our recovery,” a Suzu city official said. The ring structure was built with wood including Japanese cedar and cypress. A portion of the roughly 2-kilometer loop measuring about 200 meters will remain on the expo ground as part of the site’s preservation plan.

From the EXPO 2025 Blog: The Grand Ring was recognised by Guinness World Records on March 4, 2025 as “The largest wooden architectural structure”.