Alexithymia and Emotional Health Highlighted at Expo Osaka 2025 and the French Embassy in Tokyo

This June, two international conferences on mental health and well-being brought attention to the crucial role of emotions in physical and psychological health. Organized jointly by the Wallonia Export and Investment Agency (AWEX), Wallonie-Bruxelles International (WBI), the Embassy of France in Japan, and the Representation of Québec, these events were held as part of the Expo Osaka 2025 program.

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At both the Belgium Pavilion in Osaka (June 26) and the Embassy of France in Tokyo (June 30), leading researchers from Belgium, France, Canada, and Japan gathered to discuss how emotions shape our lives, our relationships, and our health.

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A highlight of both events was the presentation by Prof. Olivier Luminet (UCLouvain, ULB, FRS–FNRS), who explored alexithymia—the difficulty in identifying and describing emotions—and its implications for mental and physical well-being. Luminet emphasized how limited emotional awareness can affect stress regulation, psychosomatic disorders, and interpersonal functioning, and called for more integrative approaches to emotional education and healthcare.

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The conferences also featured talks on trauma, attachment, interoception, and emotional regulation by Prof. Raphaële Miljkovitch (Université Paris-8), Prof. Isabelle Blanchette (Université Laval), Prof. Kenji Kanbara (Kagawa University), and Prof. Gen Komaki (National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry).

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The two sessions—“Unlocking the Mind-Body Connection: A Conference on Health and Emotions”—underscored a shared international commitment to bringing emotion science into the public health agenda.

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Both events were supported by UCB Japan and All Nippon Airways Brussels Office, and included simultaneous French-Japanese interpretation.