A Guide to the World Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan♪

World Expos, aka International Registered Exhibitions officially, are a global exhibition where nations around the world come together to showcase the newest innovations, cutting edge technologies, and state-of-the-art architecture. It is held around the world once every five years and the last time it was held in Japan was twenty years ago.

The theme of Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan is: Design Future Society for Our Lives. Emerging strong from the COVID-19 pandemic and progressing toward the new era of diversity and inclusion, Expo 2025 is a place where each participant contemplates the meaning of “life” for themselves, others, and the various creatures in the natural world, and pursues a sustainable future.

“What is a sustainable future?”
“What is happiness for all peoples of the world?”
“What can humanity do now to create a future society for ‘all’ our lives?”

It is a place to reflect together with the people of the world about “how the future society for our lives should be” under the grand theme of “life”. What would the future society be like if we could all accept the diverse values and opinions that exist around the world, respect one another, and unite? Expo 2025 is an opportunity for a valuable dialogue, vital in this time.

Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai will be held on the artificial island of Yumeshima in Osaka Bay. To get there, visitors can simply take Osaka Metro’s Chuo Line to Yumeshima Station, a brand-new station right at the site of Osaka Expo 2025, scheduled to open in late January of 2025♪

The event site spans some 382.85 acres, an area equivalent to about 290 American football fields or 217 soccer fields!
At the center of the site will be the “Forest of Tranquility” and eight Signature Pavilions built by eight producers active in film, music, and other industries.

The central area is then surrounded by unique pavilions presented by participating nations and organizations from the private sector, and other event facilities will be built around all of that.

The main landmark of Osaka Expo is the Grand Roof (Ring). Projected to be one of the world’s largest wooden structures upon completion, the Ring will extend about 2 kilometers in circumference and the Ring Sky Walk will be 30 meters wide and 12 meters high (20 meters for the outer circle of the sloped skywalk).

The ring-shaped wooden roof will be built using the Japanese traditional nuki bracing techniques to connect timber. Visitors will be able to walk atop the roof of the Ring overseeing the entire site of Expo 2025 and looking out into the rich nature of the Seto Inland Sea and enjoy the spectacular sight of the Expo venue surrounded by the sea and the sky.

A pavilion refers to a temporary structure used for exhibitions. At the World Expo, pavilions showcase the history and culture of the participating nations and organizations and are host to innovative architecture, exhibits, and activities where the newest technologies can be experienced first-hand.

Visitors can get a glimpse of the future through the scientific and technological progress highlighted at each pavilion. Let’s look at some of the remarkable pavilions of Osaka Expo.

①Official Participants’ Pavilions

Official Participants’ Pavilions are pavilions sponsored by participating nations from around the world. Each country showcases its culture and technological achievements in their own unique ways.

One of the two Official Participants’ Pavilions I’d like to highlight today is the Swiss Pavilion.
With “Innovative Swiss” as its theme, the Swiss Pavilion will reveal how the strengths of Swiss innovations will contribute to the sustainability and prosperity of the future.

Exhibits will be set up on the ground floor of the pavilion, while at the highest spot of the pavilion’s spheres will be an imaginative café & rooftop bar with a view of the sea.

＜Thematic Areas of “Life”＞
①Life (life sciences, health, nutrition)
②Planet (environment, sustainability, climate, energy)
③Augmented Human (robotics, artificial intelligence)

The Swiss pavilion consisting of five spheres (excluding the office area) surrounded by a green landscape has a minimal ecological footprint. The light membrane that covers the spheres is made with Ethylene Tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) and weighs less than 300 to 400 kilograms, which is just 1% of a conventional building. It’s so light that it can be carried by just 2 or 3 cargo bikes!

Designed with a focus on the environment and sustainability, the recyclable light membrane will be transformed into specially designed furniture after the Expo.

The German pavilion is titled “Wa! Germany!” with the Japanese word wa, whose meanings include circle and harmony. Designed around the theme of circular economy, the architectural construction, the exhibits, and the concept of the pavilion are all deeply related to the “circle”.

The perfectly circular buildings of the German pavilion are made with reused or recyclable materials, and the exhibition will include an immersive experience around the concept of circular society. Visitors will experience first-hand a journey into the future where complex issues like the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and recycling are addressed.

Circulars will be there to greet and guide the visitors on this journey into the future at the German pavilion. The lovely mascot was created with inspirations from the “Kawaii” concept, a Japanese pop culture aesthetic referring to cuteness. The cute little guides are trilingual and can give tours of the pavilion in Japanese, German, or English.

It will be quite a spectacle to see all the international pavilions at Osaka Expo, with each country presenting its unique exhibition under its own theme. Details for a good number of pavilions are yet to be published, but I highly doubt anyone will fall short of our expectations♪

②Domestic Pavilions

In the domestic pavilion section, sponsoring organizations showcase a variety of buildings and offer a place to experience and imagine the future.

Joined by universities and industry partners, Osaka Prefecture and Osaka City present the Osaka Healthcare Pavilion under the theme of “Reborn”. The exhibition will showcase the possibilities the future holds for each of us and Osaka in the context of life and health.

Set in the future around 2050, the exhibition allows generations of visitors to imagine their future selves and provide futuristic food and healthcare experiences. Visitors may find it to be a good chance for self-reflection.

Like the Official Participants’ Pavilions, details for a good number of domestic pavilions are yet to be published, so stay tuned for the announcements of more exciting pavilions♪

③Signature Pavilions

Signature Pavilions are part of the thematic project of Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai. Led by eight producers from various industries, these pavilions provide hands on experiences featuring the “Future Society for Our Lives”. The real world and the virtual world intersect in the diverse array of experiences offered, and they serve as a place for all visitors to think about “life” and renew their perception of it.

See the official homepage for more details↓
https://www.expo2025.or.jp/en/overview/project/

Myaku-Myaku is the official mascot of Expo Osaka Kansai.

The mysteryous creature was born when cells and water combined into one being in a spring somewhere in Kansai. The red part of its body represents the “cell” symbolizing life, and the blue part was designed in the image of “clean water” which transforms its shape freely.

Made of cells and water, Myaku-Myaku can transform its shape into various forms as it looks for the ideal self. Sometimes, though, Myaku-Myaku gets a bit forgetful and cannot remember its original form because it has too much fun changing shape♪

You can spot Myaku-Myaku all over Osaka City in the form of art installations and manhole covers as we get closer to the opening of the Expo next year. Myaku-Myaku cannot wait to meet everyone at Expo Osaka Kansai and, who knows, might pop up somewhere in your paths☆

In 2023, the first official store of Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai opened in Abeno Harukas, adding to the festive mood in Osaka. You can find all sorts of Expo themed merchandise at the store including plushies, apparel merchandise, and snacks, all featuring Myaku-Myaku♪

＜Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai Official Store – Abeno Harukas Store＞

Location: Abeno Harukas, Kintetsu Department Store – Main Store Tower Buliding, 2nd Floor Event Space (Adjacent to the Welcome Gallery)
Hours: 10:00 am – 8:30 pm　
Access: Approx. 1-minute walk from Osaka Metro’s Tennoji Station (Midosuji Line)

Osaka Metro is also gearing up for Expo Osaka Kansai, operating Expo-themed trains on its major lines and preparing a brand-new station, Yumeshima station at the site of the Expo⤴

Expo-themed Train Cars

This is Osaka Metro’s Expo train, with Osaka Expo themed designs on the first (or last) car. Three of these trains are currently in operation on the Midosuji Line and two on the Tanimachi Line. Make sure to check them out when you ride Osaka Metro!

As an important note, large bags (e.g. small suitcases) will not be allowed into the Expo venue. Likewise, please do not bring large bags onto Osaka Metro trains on your way to Osaka Expo, if at all possible, to ensure safe and smooth boarding processes for everyone.

A New Station at the Expo Site

The grand opening of Osaka Metro’s newest station, Yumeshima Station, is planned for late January of 2025.

Mirroring the theme of Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai, the interior design of the station incorporates the elements of Japanese traditional culture and showcases the transformation of “life”.

※Details of the area around this facility in the above images may differ from the actual space.

Expo admission ticket types and prices are detailed in the table below. Advance tickets went on sale on November 30, 2023, and are currently available for purchase.

Ticket Type	Summary	Adult (age 18+)	Junior (age 12-17)	Child (age 4-11)
Advance Tickets
Opening Ticket	Single entry between 4/13/2025 and 4/26/2015	¥4,000	¥2,200	¥1,000
First-Half Period Ticket	Single entry between 4/13/2025 and 7/18/2015	¥5,000	¥3,000	¥1,200
One-Day Ticket – Super Early Bird (Sale Period: 11/30/2023 – 10/6/2024)	Single entry anytime during the Expo	¥6,000	¥3,500	¥1,500
One-Day Ticket – Early Bird (Sale Period: 10/7/2024 – 4/12/2025)	Single entry anytime during the Expo	¥6,700	¥3,700	¥1,700
Ticket Sales During the Expo
One-Day Ticket	Single entry anytime during the Expo	¥7,500	¥4,200	¥1,800
Weekday Ticket	Single entry after 11 am on weekdays; excludes Saturday/ Sundays/ Holidays	¥6,000	¥3,500	¥1,500
Night Ticket	Single entry after 5 pm during the Expo	¥3,700	¥2,000	¥1,000
Special Discount Ticket
Special Discount Ticket	Can be purchased by a guest who holds a disability certificate and one accompanying guest (carer); single entry per person anytime during the Expo	¥3,700	¥2,000	¥1,000
Multiple Entry Pass
Season Pass	Multiple entries after 11 am daily between 4/13/2025 – 10/3/2025 ※No entry after 10/3/2025	¥30,000	¥17,000	¥7,000
Summer Pass	Multiple entries after 11 am daily between 7/19/2025 – 8/31/2025	¥12,000	¥7,000	¥3,000

※Tax is included in all prices.
※Age is the actual age of the guest as of 4/1/2025, equivalent to the number of years after birth. Admission is free for guests age three and under.
※Group Tickets are available for groups of 15 or more.

Details can be found on the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition homepage↓
https://www.expo2025.or.jp/en/tickets-index/