The Yomiuri Shimbun
Expo workers attend a job fair in Osaka on Sept. 14.
14:04 JST, September 22, 2025
Staff at the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo who honed their customer service skills and language abilities are highly sought after as ready-to-work talent.
A joint corporate job fair targeting staff working at the Expo venue was held in Osaka on Sept. 14 and 15, introducing employment opportunities after the Expo’s closure. A total of 107 companies participated, with industries ranging from hotels to manufacturers. Amid ongoing labor shortages, “Expo talent” has become the subject of fierce competition.
Organized by major temp staff agency Pasona Inc., companies set up booths to explain their business and employment conditions and held individual interviews. There was also a consultation booth for foreign workers. The two-day event saw approximately 2,500 attendees.
Nao Kato, 23, who oversees guide services at the Commons, a joint exhibition pavilion for multiple countries, said, “I want to use my experience interacting with people from various countries in English to work in a job that connects me to the world.”
There are about 20,000 workers at the Expo, handling various duties including customer service, guiding, pavilion operations and cleaning. The companies attending the joint job fair came from a diverse range of industries, including hotel operators Hoshino Resorts Inc. and Royal Hotel, Ltd., and Sanrio Co., known for its Hello Kitty character goods.
The operator of Junglia Okinawa, a theme park that opened in July in Nakijin Village, Okinawa Prefecture, attended with the aim of recruiting customer service staff. “The work done at the Expo is well-suited to working at a theme park,” said director Reina Mori. “We want to sow the seeds for recruitment for next year’s spring break and long holidays.”
According to Pasona, many companies inquired about the job fair, but to allow attendees and companies to talk in detail, the number of participating companies was ultimately limited to about 100. “The flexible response and communication skills cultivated at the Expo are valuable, and many companies are eager to hire these workers,” said managing director Kyoko Sanematsu.
Many Expo workers quit their former jobs to work at the Expo. Most of them are expected to look for new jobs after the event ends, and companies are showing strong interest.
The Osaka Labor Bureau will also hold job fairs after the Expo closes, gathering businesses in the restaurant and airport-related sectors.
AloJapan.com