EXPO 2025 OSAKA Japan REVIEW | Our Disappointing Experience
This week we visited the Expo 2025 Osaka in Japan. We had this adventure on our radar since we attended the Dubai Expo 2020 and had such an amazing time in the UAE. This experience set very high expectations for the Expo 2025 Osaka. We were so excited to visit the EXPO when we finally arrived at the metro station near the East Gate of the Expo. While there were some fun things to see and do at the Osaka Expo, we struggled with the long lines, the very confusing and limiting reservation system and the lack of permanence of the pavilions and displays. We tried to love it like we did the Dubai Expo, but we just did not. In this video we give you a peek at some of the highlights and lowlights of the Osaka Expo.
Next week we start our most epic adventure yet—a 10-video travelogue series through China that spans 3,350 miles, 9 cities, and approximately a million dumplings (give or take). We started this unforgettable journey in the vibrant streets of Hong Kong and zipped across the country on some of the fastest, smoothest, and downright fanciest trains we’ve ever experienced. From futuristic skylines to ancient temples, panda sightings to people-watching, this series is packed with unforgettable moments and plenty of surprises.
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After China, we will continue the travelogue as we journey through Japan and South Korea.
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21 Comments
Sometimes expectations can exceed actual experiences. After spending a full week in the Dubai Expo 2020 and having an incredible time, our expectations were sky high for Osaka. In today's video, we give a truthful assessment of our experience. If you have already been, please give us feedback from your visit. Happy journeys, John and Bev
So thankful for your honest review. We are currently planning our visit to Japan in September.
This is the whole truth, and thank you so much for the video. This expo is a flop, the African countries are squeezed in small buildings and not even allowed to have marketplace.
Thanks for your candid review. This is the second video in as many days that has had a similar take. We'll hold off for the next expo. Thanks
I have to say I had opposite experience. I was completely impressed
Darn, guys. Sorry to hear about the frustrations. Great video to let us know the truth behind this bucket list trip.
Thank you very much for this timely information. We are going there in Sept. With this information, now, we may consider to modify our plan. ❤
Went expo Dubai (spent two days) and enjoyed it, Osaka is much less than primrily because of global issues.
Well summarised/said. Everything you mentioned I agree. In particular, the frustrations with the app/booking time slots. It was stressful operating the app and hard to navigate. After 2 days of going to the Expo,(yes, I gave it another chance), honestly, think it Sucked (told others dont bother)
We spent 4 days in total, 5 if you count the opening disaster. And visited probably all main pavilions. Agree with your points, but what we also saw that there were a lot of main pavilions that were only in Japanese. like all movies, signs etc – so we could not understand anything and it was surprising for world expo, not to have English translations at all.
Totally agree. Last Expo I went to was 1988. Many Osaka pavilions were disappointing in terms of their content. Pavilions such as Germany, Swiss, Belgium and Austria had innovative technology for the future which restored our faith in the expo.
Thanks for speaking up. What you mentioned are absolute facts that we also experienced and were disappointed about Osaka 2025 Expo. This was our first time at an expo and I don’t know if I would visit another one soon. Not only the way it was organized but also many pavilions that we visited didn’t leave us any impression due to the fact that we could only visited the ones with no reservations since it was almost impossible to make reservations with the website’s confusing set up.
It's sad. I was planning to go in June instead of taking a trip to another city. I didn't want to do the long lines of parks.
Completely agree with your point on reservations. I flew to Osaka for this and was unable to enter any of the Signature Pavilions. From 11am to 9pm I only got into 5 country pavilions :(( what a bummer.
I still bought a 2nd ticket to add 4 more pavilions though.
I have been there, and tbh I can confirm it was kind of disappointed.. we were expecting something way better.
At least, asteroids ☄️ & earthquakes did not hit you! That is awesome!!! I am from Nara,Kyoto & Sunset Plaza Drive(Hollywood Hills). However, locals never want to go there because of the rumors as I said !!!
🔥🔥🔥🖖✌️🥷🍕🍜🚀👍
I love Osaka but thanks for reminding me to avoid until the Expo is over
I'm surprised with your slow travel experience that you seek out crowded and touristy events. I avoid all that like the plague
We could not agree with you more. We also spent a magical week at Dubai 2020 (I even managed to visit every country pavilion), and also found Osaka 2025 underwhelming and frustrating. I did four days in the end, but as you alluded to only managed to visit a fraction of pavilions due to the obnoxious lottery system. I found it particularly unforgivable that the map on the official app doesn’t work offline and the prevalence of Japanese staff showed just how self-centred the whole event was. Many poor planning decisions that made Osaka 2025 (and I’m sad to say this) so missable. See you all at Riyadh 2030!
I performed with the All American Youth Honor Band at Expo 70 in Osaka, Japan. I have plans to attend Expo 2025 with a Japanese family in June; and this review has me wondering if it is worth the long trip to Japan. I have attended World Fairs since the New York World’s Fair. The reservation system is indeed complicated.
Absolutely agree with your recession. I was there yesterday and my friends and I only had reservations for the United Arab Emirates and the pavilion was boring to death. The other one we booked was the Mitsubishi one and was a bit more entertaining but nothing else. And we couldn’t choose which pavilions to visit, it’s a random assignment, seriously? No way to visit other pavilions and we also had to wait a 30 min line in the Mitsubishi pavilion even with reservation. Lines everywhere, even for lunch. Thank god that a staff member of my country’s pavilion, Spain, told us we could skip the line as Spaniards, so that we could see another pavilion. It’s been my first Universal Expo but probably it’s going to be my last one
We experienced the exact same thing! The Dubai expo felt like it was on a whole different level than this one. The app and booking system were confusing and the lineups were insanely long. The lottery system was not straight forward. Overall, Dubai set a new benchmark for the Expo and Japan didn't measure up at all unfortunately.