Hi everyone! We went to Osaka Expo 2025 at the end of May 2025, and frankly, the whole expo was huge, and one needed at least 3–4 days to see the whole thing. The expo had the biggest wooden structure in the world built just for this event. In this post, I will tell you about every single memory I had at the expo!
What is the World Expo?
The World Expo takes place in a different country every year and usually lasts from April/May to October/November. Countries from all around the world participate in the Expo to brand themselves and show their latest innovations. Some countries have their own buildings, and some countries use a shared building to showcase their country’s branding. Each country’s exhibition is called a pavilion. It is a visual feast and very educational for people to see the world’s countries without traveling to each country. The World Expo in 2025 took place in Osaka, Kansai, and it was delightful. I will share my experience at the World Expo in this post.
Grand Ring: The Biggest Wooden Structure in the World
We went on a Sunday, 26th of May 2025. The weather was cloudy, and the temperature was around 20 degrees. It was crowded but not overly crowded. A friend of ours went before us and mentioned how much he liked the wooden structure built for the Expo. This structure is the world’s biggest wooden structure, and it is called the Grand Ring. If you would like to read more about this structure, you can find out more here:
Wikipedia Grand Ring.
In person, just for this wooden structure alone, I would have recommended seeing the Expo. You could even take an elevator and go on top of the wooden structure to get pretty good views of the pavilions. Below, in the photos, you can see how pretty the ring looks. Especially during the sunset.
About 25 Million People Attended The Expo
About 25 million people attended the Expo during its run [source] . When we were there, it was quite crowded as well. We could buy the tickets either online or at the Expo, but it was much easier to buy them online. Honestly, people formed huge lines to enter the pavilions, especially the China and USA pavilions, which were extremely crowded.
Both on the app and in person, you could see how long the waiting time was for each pavilion. Most pavilions had a waiting time of at least 20 minutes. On the app, you could get something like a fast pass, but we preferred not to pay for it. Some pavilions also did not accept visitors without reservations. On the Expo app, you could see which pavilions required reservations and which ones did not.
In total, we saw five pavilions. In addition to the pavilions, there were many other events, such as dance shows from different countries, concerts, and light shows.
There were buildings called Commons. These buildings were called Commons because they hosted many countries’ pavilions.
Ukraine Pavilion
Our first visit was the Ukraine Pavilion. Ukraine arranged a pavilion that was mostly focused on the ongoing war’s effects on its people, in order to raise awareness. There was an exhibition inside the pavilion where you could scan items with a barcode scanner, and a text would appear on the screen describing common issues in Ukraine right now. People were quiet and respectful inside the exhibition.
Turkey Pavilion
Our next stop was the Turkey Pavilion. They had döner and Maraş ice cream stands (a famous ice cream specific to Turkey that has a cheese-like texture and elongates when pulled). There were many people buying food from these stalls. To get inside, we waited for about 30 minutes in the queue again. To be honest, inside there was a strong cigarette smoke smell in the air, and they had placed many rugs and Turkish souvenirs around. This pavilion did not feel like much effort had been put into it. We left and started searching for a new pavilion.
Qatar Pavilion
At this point, it was almost half the day, and we had seen only two pavilions. All pavilions had waiting lines of around 40 minutes at this point. We had read that the Qatar Pavilion was okay, and since it also had around a 40-minute waiting line, we decided to wait.
Inside the Qatar Pavilion, they showcased their gas reserves and pearls. They mentioned that most of the population lives around the coastal areas. They also showed a documentary film in a sitting area where you needed to take your shoes off. There were English-speaking guides who helped visitors navigate inside the pavilion. At the end of the Qatar Pavilion, there was a beautiful area for taking photos.
Also, at the end of the pavilions, there are usually souvenir shops where you can buy items related to that country. There were many shows scattered around the Expo as well, such as Indian dance performances or parades featuring traditional Portuguese national costumes.
Belgium Pavilion
The next pavilion was the Belgium Pavilion. It had a nice sitting area outside. Inside, they demonstrated a lot of their work on vaccines. They mentioned that 40% of babies in the world are vaccinated with a vaccine from Belgium. It seemed that they collect a lot of health data from their citizens, which was pretty cool.
Netherlands Pavilion
Lastly, there was about an hour and a half left before the Expo closed for the day, but I felt like we could have seen more. My friend left because he was feeling tired for the day. Due to the large crowds and long queues, I feel the Expo needed at least 3–4 full days to get the full experience.
As I got hungry, I went to the 7/11 at the Expo and ate my sandwich while sitting on a bench. Across from me was the Netherlands Pavilion.
The queue was again around 40 minutes, but since pavilions closed earlier than the Expo itself, I knew that even if I waited in line, I wouldn’t make it inside. I went to the staff member who was letting people in and asked if I needed a reservation for the pavilion. She said yes, but mentioned that I could use the fast track if I had it. I said I didn’t. She then asked if I would like to, and I said yes.
That was the highlight of my day. She basically let me in without a reservation, so thank you, Judith from the Netherlands! I felt that the Netherlands exhibition was the coolest one, partly because I was very happy to get in without a reservation, and also because they had glowing globes that you could charge, which explained many innovations related to water.
Final Words
Then there was a light show at the end of the day, and I very happily went home. Overall, the Expo is a one-of-a-kind experience, and I would love to see the next one. This time, I would make sure to spare 4–5 full days to be able to experience the Expo fully!
