Visitors gather at companies’ booths at a job information fair aimed at those working at the Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, in Osaka’s Suminoe Ward, Sept. 14, 2025. (Mainichi/Tatsu Shingu)
OSAKA — As the Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai approaches its closing on Oct. 13, companies are actively seeking to recruit pavilion staff and other personnel who have worked at the major event. Businesses see these individuals, noted for their language skills and refined hospitality, as valuable industry-ready people.
A job information fair for Expo workers was held at ATC Hall in Osaka’s Suminoe Ward, near the Expo venue, on Sept. 14 and 15. The event attracted about 2,500 attendees over the two days, with 107 companies ranging from hotel operators to retailers setting up booths.
The job fair was organized by Pasona Inc., a major staffing agency. Executive managing officer Kyoko Sanematsu emphasized, “About 20,000 people are said to be working at this Expo. We think that the hospitality and experience gained from this national project will benefit their future careers.”
Asuka Nakamura, 20, a third-year university student in Osaka Prefecture who works in customer service at a corporate pavilion, expressed her high hopes, saying, “I want to use my Expo experience to work in fields like the hotel or aviation industry.”
A 30-year-old German national in charge of managing staff operations at the Spain Pavilion stated in fluent Japanese, “After the Expo, I want to work in international exchange and explore my potential while enhancing my career.”
The consultation desk for foreigners is seen at a job information fair aimed at those working at the Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, in Osaka’s Suminoe Ward, Sept. 14, 2025. (Mainichi/Tatsu Shingu)
At the job fair, Pasona also set up a support corner for foreigners studying Japanese, offering consultations. Two Austria Pavilion workers from Spain, aged 29 and 27, came to Japan in November last year using the working holiday program, which allows for limited employment while enjoying a vacation abroad. They expressed their desire to improve their Japanese skills and find a job.
A recruitment officer from The Royal Hotel Ltd., which operates Rihga Royal Hotels, said, “We plan to launch multiple new ventures within our group and want to hire as many people as possible with high customer service skills and hospitality.”
Naoya Araki, president of H2O Retailing Corp., which owns Hankyu Hanshin Department Stores, acknowledged the necessity of attracting affluent customers, including those from overseas, for future growth. “We hope to hire individuals who can maintain communication with affluent customers while displaying good hospitality,” he said.
USJ LLC, which operates Universal Studios Japan in Osaka’s Konohana Ward, plans to hold recruitment sessions at Hello Work employment service centers in the city once a month between August and November, in addition to the Sept. 14-15 job fair. It is aiming to hire more than 100 people in total. A company representative noted, “The Expo work aligns well with theme park operations and is appealing. Before the Expo opened, we were worried as new applicants for our company decreased, but the approaching end to the Expo presents an opportunity. These individuals are truly industry-ready, so we intend to actively recruit them.”
(Japanese original by Tatsu Shingu, Osaka Business News Department)
AloJapan.com