The Osaka Expo, officially titled “Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan,” began on April 13th, 2025. Countries from across the world are participating to spread the word about their nation’s technology, culture, and art, all under the theme “Designing Future Society for Our Lives.”

▶︎ Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan Official Website

I’ve actually been interested in the Expo for a long time, so I made sure to visit on April 19th – before it had been open for even a week! On the day of my visit the weather was bright, clear, and relatively warm for April, so I managed to visit at the perfect time! If you decide to visit during the summer, you’ll definitely want to take care not to get heat stroke.

What to Prepare for the Osaka Expo

→ First things first, make sure to wear comfortable walking shoes, and bring whatever you need to deal with the heat. Since the Expo site is by the seaside, there’s no hiding from the sun, so a pair of sunglasses will come in handy as well. I saw a lot of people wearing hats or carrying sun umbrellas, and keeping hydrated while waiting in line.

→ You’ll also want to download the venue map from the official Expo website ahead of time, so you can check the locations and mark down the pavilions you’re planning to visit. I also recommend starring the locations on Google Maps.

→ Even if you spend the whole day at the Expo, it still won’t be enough time, but if you plan ahead and figure out the most efficient routes, you can at least make the most of those limited hours!

→ The thing I regretted not bringing the most was a power bank! Between all the pictures and videos I was taking, and all the times I had to check the map, my phone was basically dead in the blink of an eye. There’s nowhere to charge your devices, either, so I’d definitely recommend bringing plenty of extra juice!

Getting Inside Is Surprisingly Easy

There are two ways to get to the Expo site: you can reserve a spot on the shuttle bus, or take the train to Yumeshima Station. I decided to take the train this time, and thanks to all the signage, I arrived without a hitch. At the entrance, I was able to glide right through the QR code ticket scanning process, and the security check was quick and easy too.

But, the moment I entered the Expo 2025 site I was struck by one thing: it’s way bigger than I imagined! It’s all at a scale that you can’t quite grasp with just a glance at the map.

During my visit on April 14th it didn’t actually seem that crowded, and getting into the Expo site was smooth enough, but that might change as the days go by! My impression of the crowd was that it was 70% foreign visitors, 20% Kansai locals, and maybe 10% Japanese visitors from other parts of the country. Back at my hotel in Umeda, I think the other guests were probably 90% foreign travelers!

The Best Pavilions?

Most pavilions take advance reservations and/or hold day-of reservation lotteries, but I was only able to reserve one in advance, which was a seat at a Physical Twin Symphony performance (running for a limited time only). Every single pavilion and event was so popular, I couldn’t get a single day-of reservation.

Since I didn’t snag many reservations, I went on a somewhat haphazard tour of pavilions that didn’t require one. I found that there were pavilions where you had to line up for a pretty long time even with a reservation, anyway, like the hour-long wait at the Japan Pavilion.

If you spend your time visiting the pavilions of less well-known countries, you’ll find yourself discovering all kinds of wonders you never knew, and you might end up wanting to visit that country for real someday!

At the Pakistan Pavilion’s salt exhibition, I found myself posing surrounded by Himalayan pink salt.

I enjoyed the architecture of the Saudi Arabia Pavilion – the host of the 2030 expo – with coffee in hand.

I was presented with “the future,” as designed by 158 different countries and regions. The entire Expo site created a very beautiful, very real vision of what urban landscapes and nature might look like in the near future, and it really felt like I’d slipped forward in time.

It’s lovely during the daylight hours, but I especially recommend staying after dark. All of the Expo architecture looks magical when it’s lit up!

You Too Will Grow to Love Myaku-Myaku

These days Myaku-Myaku isn’t just all over the Expo 2025 site, but all over the city, too. Myaku-Myaku might come off as a little creepy at first, but this little guy will quickly find a place in your heart. Throughout the pavilions you’ll spot other visitors wearing Myaku-Myaku goods, or bringing their new Myaku-Myaku stuffed toys with them to enjoy the exhibitions.

Without a second thought, I ended up bringing Myaku-Myaku home with me too. But the main gift shop was so crowded with people, it was a bit of a battle. (lol) Behold, my hard-earned booty:

There’s no denying that the Myaku-Myaku x Sanrio collab is cute. The collection is so popular, it’s already being bought up by resellers… But my other prize was a Myaku-Myaku cookie tin, which was also a big hit! These so-called “Myaku-Myaku Cookies” are a limited product, only available at the Expo site itself.

Head Back and Give Your Feet a Rest!

Pavilions explored and souvenirs purchased, it’s time to head home… But after all that walking, your feet are probably screaming! You’re basically on your feet all day at Expo 2025, whether you’re walking around the island or just standing in line. In my case I walked more than 20,000 steps! If your legs and feet were as dead as mine felt at the end of that day, I recommend a nice long soak back at the hotel, so you can enjoy the rest of your trip!

▶︎ On my train home I happened to hop on a Saudi Arabia-themed train, decorated on the outside, complete with a Saudi Pavilion map on the inside. Don’t underestimate the next expo host, they’re clearly fired up already!

Witness the Future

If I were to sum up the expo in just one phrase, it would have to be a place to “meet the future, and the world.” It was really an experience beyond anything I’d imagined!

If you’re still not sure about the whole thing, you just have to go see it all for yourself. Don’t miss this chance to encounter the future in Osaka!

P.S. Myaku-Myaku even has an eyeball on his tail…!!

^{_{Original Article in Japanese by Marina Yokomizo
English Edition by Sophia Appelbaum}}