osaka & namba

The Osaka Expo is running from April 13 until October 13, 2025 

I think Osaka first bid to host this event while we were still living in Osaka

So much controversy & drama

Initially I didn’t really want to go and Satoshi thought he might go while I was in Hawaii 

But once we figured out how to use their website we secured our entrance tickets

Because everything was last minute, we couldn’t secure entrance to any of the pavilions

So we went just to absorb the atmosphere and mood

But first a walk around Umeda, so much has changed 

Lots of new buildings, shops and eateries

We had our second breakfast in the Eki Marche area, an area we used to go to often when we lived in Osaka, so much had changed here as well, but it was nice to see some shops that we enjoyed had survived the pandemic  

Afterwards, we made our way to the Expo, our entrance time was 11:00 and there was already people lining up

Your bag will be put through the x-ray machine, bottle with water and tea will also be checked

There is a list of prohibited items like selfie sticks, so be sure to read the rules on the website before going.

One guy had to put his selfie stick into a locker before entering the Expo that was gonna cost him 1500 yen for the day!

Satoshi was most interested in walking the ring that surrounds the Expo

Called the Grand Ring, this large wooden structure is 20 meters high (65 feet), runs 2025 meters (1.258 miles) around and takes up 61,035 square meters (656,980 square feet) 

The Grand Ring uses Japanese cedar and cypress and is built using the “nuki” technique which penetrates one element through another and can be seen in the Japanese torii at the entrances of Shinto shrines

The Grand Ring was designed by Sou Fujimoto and represents the Expo’s theme : “unity in diversity”

It was something to see!

Walking underneath provided lots of shade, the humidity was unfortunately pretty thick

The pavilions that represented different countries were unique and beautiful

Frustrating were the lines for food, shopping

Thank goodness there were no lines for the restrooms! (at least not at the restrooms we used!)

Also the line to refill your water bottle went quite fast

Since we had eaten before going, we just had snacks 

Satoshi had a grape soft serve...700 yen (tax included)

Kat had a pineapple slush...800 yen (tax included)

The whole event is cashless so be prepared to pay with a credit card or some kind of electronic payment 

While walking around we noticed some pavilions did not have lines or require reservations so we visited Chile & Senegal

Loved seeing all the different art pieces and paintings here and there.

One thing we noticed was even if you had a reservation for a certain pavilion, you still needed to wait in line to actually go in to experience it…some reservation lines were krazy long!

We had thought to stay until sunset but left at about 15:00 because it was just.too.hot

After checking in, we walked around Dotombori and went to look for okonomiyaki

We’ve been to Ootako with family and it was nice to revisit

We enjoyed the pork garlic kimchee yakisoba and pork tomato cheese okonomiyaki

It was a long day, but we were happy we got to experience the Expo and reconnect with Umeda and Namba

Grampus Inn Osaka

1-13-18 Nambanaka

Naniwa, Osaka

more videos and photos of the expo here