Osaka Expo and why I would not revisit.
After Japan secured the honor of hosting World Expo 2025, visionary architect Sou Fujimoto was chosen to bring the grand ring to life. This awe-inspiring structure has claimed a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest wooden architectural wonders. Now, it stands as a symbol of the expo, alongside the vibrant blue and red mascot with a few too many eyes. This year’s event unfolds on Yumeshima island in Osaka. With a run time of six months the Osaka Expo hosts an unprecedented 158 countries, making it one of the most globally represented expos ever. With over 10 million visitors already and ticket sales breaking even at the halfway point, it looks like this year’s expo is a huge success. But what exactly is Expo? And what was it like to experience the world of pavilions firsthand for a day?
This year’s expo revolves around the theme of designing our future and connecting our lives, inviting us to imagine the world of tomorrow and inspiring us to take meaningful steps today to shape it. The expo takes place mainly within the grand ring, with a few pavilions dotted outside it.
So, what is Expo? Imagine a vibrant showcase where nations, both big and small, proudly present their heritage and innovations. It is a celebration of culture and pride. Larger countries unveil their stories in grand pavilions which are designed creatively by that country, giving all the pavilions a unique look. Smaller countries are presented in lively community spaces, ensuring everyone has a place in the spotlight. Step inside these pavilions and you might find yourself wandering through lands you have only dreamed of, tasting the essence of distant cultures. Beyond the national displays, discover imaginative concept pavilions: Earth Mart explores the future of food, the dynamic Gundam pavilion pays tribute to Japan’s legendary mech anime, and other spaces invite you to experience the wonders of water, sound, and health.
Many countries invite you to literally savor their cultures by opening restaurants inside their pavilions, each serving up national dishes. Throughout the six-month event, a vibrant lineup of performances awaits, including the spectacular opening concert that brought together stars like Ado and orchestras from Hungary and Japan, complete with the enchanting sounds of traditional instruments such as the Koto. You can browse the full schedule of performances on the official website, making it easy to plan your perfect visit. The website is also your go-to spot for buying tickets and exploring all the attractions in advance, which I highly recommend. Be sure to download the app as well; it provides real-time updates online of the waiting times expected at each pavilion and lets you snag reservation slots as they become available. While most pavilions welcome guests without reservations, the term 'walk-in' hardly captures the experience.
Before I dig into my experience at the expo, it is important to explain how tickets work and how reservations also work. When you purchase tickets, depending on how far you book in advance, you will be allowed to enter raffles to snag places for reserved pavilions such as Earth Mart, Gundam, etc. Some pavilions are only by reservation; however, most accept walk ins which I will go into later as walking in is not a good term for the process. Ensure you book in advance and check when the lottery tickets open so you can enter early to secure some confirmed pavilions. But this is also where researching ahead is key, make a list of what you most want to see and aim at trying to secure your most desired pavilions.
I visited during Obon, when the crowds swelled larger than usual and the summer heat turned every step into a test of endurance. I managed to grab a time slot for Earth Mart, but missed out on my second pick, the Gundam Pavilion. With that in mind, I set out early, to be greeted by a slow-moving snaking line that hinted at the day ahead. Friends had warned me: expo lines are infamous, chaotic, and not for the faint of heart, especially if your schedule is tight. With many even going as far to say it is not worth it. The Expo draws over 150000 visitors each day, not counting the holiday rush. My first piece of advice: arm yourself with parasols, sun cream, water, and snacks. Once inside the grand ring, you enter a realm ruled by lines, where queuing becomes an art form. The British would feel right at home here, as lines stretch for everything imaginable. Not just the pavilions, where waits can top three hours and sometimes get suspended, but also for toilets, restaurants, vending machines, and every merch stand in sight.
The wait to enter was sweaty, hot and very slow. The airport-style bag checks take some time so I would advise you to bring only what is necessary, so your check is smooth and quick. It is this wait in the sun that changed my exploring buddies’ skin to a beautiful pink where the rest of the weekend they would have made even the pink panther concerned. Sunscreen and parasols are a must! The Japanese summer is serious and there is no shade. There are parasols that can even be rented for the duration of the wait and returned once you hit the shade of the security checks.
The atmosphere of the expo is lively, and one can overhear languages from all around the globe. There were times when I lost track of which country I was in and felt at least immersed in the cultures of many. Even just walking around and admiring the designs of each pavilion can be rewarding. Every country has chosen its best architects to design extraordinary buildings. From the beautiful musical spiral of the Austrian building promoting its ties with music to the beautiful wooden Chinese pavilion sporting high wooden beams with Chinese characters engraved on them. There is the beautiful dark wood Norwegian pavilion paying tribute to its dark wooden churches that can be found in the land of the fjords and glaciers, one I still long to visit. The British pavilion brought with it an iconic red postbox, and the German pavilion held everyone's interest with its design based around spheres. The buildings themselves are worth seeing, and for the first hour or so, a waddle around to see the pavilions in person was my goal. Some of these pavilions are very large and on a scale that must be experienced.
After exploring one of the many community pavilions and seeing displays from a variety of smaller countries, my walk led me to a familiar figure. Reaching up high into the sky, the iconic RX-78-2 knelt. Perhaps the most recognizable Gundam from the show, the RX-78-2, once stood proudly in Yokohama at the port as an attraction that could be visited. However, it was closed a few months prior to my arrival in Japan. After snapping some images, we noticed a sign informing visitors that some slots may open at the hour. After losing out on a time slot. The decision to wait and try snagging a slot in the inevitable rush was made. But the heavens smiled upon us, and the luck of the universe was on our side as we stood waiting for the hour to tick by in front of the entrance. We were asked if we wanted to join the session that was just about to start, as there was space. We were over the moon! And this paragraph's space puns will be one big achievement for me and one big sigh for readerkind!
The Gundam pavilion was fun and captured some of the fun of the world of Gundam. It also fits the theme of Expo perfectly, as the world of Gundam is set in the future. The adventure through the sets was fun and somewhat like a Universal Studios attraction. Visitors are taken into orbit around the earth and are guided through their journey by some ironically named mechs called Ex and Po. The walkthrough was fun; however, once past the introduction hall, the dialogue sadly is all in Japanese. But the experience itself is fun, and even without reading, visitors can get a rough idea of what occurs. The pavilion was fun, and I am glad that the spot opened.
Outside, the crowds grew in number, and the heat continued to beat down. The only real shade is within the wood ring itself and the pavilions. Lines for the pavilions had grown to the point that several were suspended until numbers went down, and sadly, the lines were everywhere, not just in the big countries. Any country or line with space had grown past the three-hour mark. The decision for visitors becomes to wait for three hours or chance exploring and finding a shorter queue or hoping a space on the app opens. For those who are determined to hit that specific pavilion and miss out on reservations or simply could not reserve, you will need to make the decision to wait for up to three hours and accept that you will not see everything at the expo in one day or even multiple visits. Sadly, it is not an event where you can see everything.
As for lunch, the lines for every restaurant also stretched over two hours, so keep this in mind with any long queueing for pavilions you do. I was able to grab some Kaiserschmarrn from a vendor outside the Austrian pavilion, but aside from this, I did not eat again until after seven. On the topic of food, I headed to my slot at Earth Mart and enjoyed looking at the food of tomorrow. Building on ideas like 3d printing food and taking the concept of food and turning it on its head. This pavilion was fun and had some fun merchandise that could be bought. The control on time slots was nice as it didn’t feel too crowded inside. I almost wish more pavilions would incorporate time slots, as I think more people would stand to see them instead of waiting in a line all day for just a stab at the one.
After Earth Mart, my nose caught the trail of something tasty, and after following it for a little while and seeing only a handful of people floating around as most were now stuck in never-ending queues, I found myself at the Nepalese restaurant and managed to not only place an order but also get seated too. The food was great, and I am happy I was able to find a break from the endless walking.
In conclusion, if I were presented with a free ticket to the Osaka expo and asked, “Would you visit again?” I would politely decline. This is for a few reasons, the main thing being how unorganized a lot of the lines were. The lottery system was nice, and having a guaranteed spot at Earth Mart relieved a lot of the stress. But, spending three hours in a queue for a pavilion that will take half an hour isn’t appealing to me. If the system of time slots were used not just for a handful of pavilions, I think things would run better and people would be able to get the most from their visits. The event will always be extremely busy, but the organization of the Gundam pavilion and Earth Mart proves that it can be handled effectively. The lines for simple facilities like the bathroom and food also make things as tough as those with young kids or even those with tummy upsets. On my visit, I needed a bathroom break for health reasons, and it took longer than needed to track down a bathroom that had a short line. The app will keep you updated with the status of the bathrooms, which I like, but I do think more toilets in different locations would help.
My biggest regret is not being able to see the UK pavilion, as crazy as it sounds, because I am from the UK and could simply go home at some point. It felt sad that I could not see it. I travelled with another person, and I didn’t want to waste their time standing in a queue for three hours just because I was slightly homesick. Later in the day, the hack of showing a national passport to get access to that pavilion was potentially uncovered. However, upon digging, it seems that it is not a guarantee and is based on how busy a pavilion is and their discretion. Not seeing my pavilion was disheartening. Whilst it was amazing to see numerous other countries and amazing things. The sense of home and familiarity or even just pride couldn’t be ignored.
I felt like I got a fair bit seen on my visit, but I barely scratched the surface of what is on offer and, in a sense, felt like I did not get my money's worth. I was too scared to just bite the bullet and wait in a three-hour queue. And my Earth Mart time slot was at four; if I was late, I risked losing my spot.
The concept of Expo is amazing, and the idea of the whole world being at one venue for you to explore is great. The idea of having a world of cuisine under one roof is even more motivating, and it is making me crave a good food festival. Back in the UK, every July, I would hit up a food festival, and it was always a lot of fun. An expo on this scale will always be busy and lines are to be expected, but the organization, I believe, could be better. The day I visited also happened to be the day the train line connecting the expo to Osaka experienced a power outage, and thousands of visitors were stuck at the expo and resorted to sleeping in pavilions and the grand ring itself. Many were treated for heat stroke. I was lucky to catch the train just before the outage. With such a vast number of people visiting per day, I am curious to know how the transport system is coping.
For those looking to visit the expo, I can offer some advice, and it's plan like crazy. Do your research ahead of time. Be very selective and decide what your priority is. Bring snack bars and things you can eat if you're unable to find a small queue for food or eat at lunchtime. Bring protection from the sun and water. Book in advance to get more raffle entries and more guaranteed slots. For the pavilions that are super busy or get their lines suspended, check out videos online, or if you're fortunate enough to have more than one day at the expo. Mark what you have seen and try to cluster your pavilions together and plan food within that space. Hopefully, with this advice, your expo will be fulfilling.
