Masha Bandjur, who hosted people stranded at the Osaka Expo venue at the Portugal Pavilion, is seen in Osaka’s Konohana Ward, Sept. 30, 2025. (Mainichi/Maiko Umeda)
OSAKA — On Aug. 13, a subway problem at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai left over 10,000 people stuck at the venue overnight. At the Portugal Pavilion, staff decided to help visitors by opening the gallery for people to rest. They sold people beer and soft drinks. This was not planned by the Expo organizers. It was the idea of the pavilion workers.
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Masha Bandjur, 30, was a supervisor at the Portugal Pavilion. She said her job was to help manage the staff and solve problems. On the night of the subway trouble, she and about 10 other staff stayed at the pavilion. Someone suggested, “What if we sold beer?” Soon, they were selling drinks, and a long line formed. All the wine and soft drinks sold out. They also made space for families with children to rest inside.
Other pavilions also helped. The Korea Pavilion gave out juice, and the Germany Pavilion gave away candy. Many vending machines were empty, so people were happy to find drinks and a place to relax. The Portugal Pavilion played music, and people started dancing. Staff from the USA Pavilion joined, and it became like a small festival. Bandjur said, “The guests’ mood improved, and I felt excited too.”
The staff helped people until about 5 a.m. Many visitors said, “Thank you so much for reopening.” Bandjur said, “I believe such situations are rare experiences for many people, so it’s best to relax and enjoy them.”
Bandjur loves Japan and has studied Japanese since she was 15. She first visited Japan in 2019 and wanted to live there, but the COVID-19 pandemic made it hard. In 2024, she stayed in Osaka and got a job at the Expo. She said, “I like Osaka because the food is better and there’s no difference between true feelings and the facade.” She enjoyed meeting people from all over the world and said, “This experience gave me confidence. I hope to work in Osaka in the future.”
(Interview by Mie Omokawa, Osaka City News Department)
Vocabulary
pavilion: a special building at an event like an expo
venue: the place where an event happens
supervisor: a person who manages or leads a team
facade: a false appearance or feeling
confidence: feeling sure about yourself
stranded: unable to leave a place
organizer: a person or group who plans an event
AloJapan.com