10 Mistakes I Wish I Knew Before Going to Osaka Expo 2025
all right so here are 10 things I wish I desperately knew before coming here to Osaka Expo 2025 mistake number one thinking every pavilion is worth your time now here I know what you might be wondering what is a pavilion pavility is a French word which means either a summer house or a building that has a lot of projections in it which I think both sounds about right i mean look at this building it’s like my favorite summer house in this expo however a pavilion basically means the building that holds the show the experience the attraction and they’re usually named after the country or company hosting it some of these pavilions are insane like full-on sensory overload Disney level immersion holograms live performances even food tastings and others feel like a PowerPoint presentation inside a fancy building so these pavilions don’t have the same weight time to value ratio for me the best time to value ratio was with USA Korea Malaysia France and Japan oh and the common ones underrated they have good weight for time ratio you can see a lot of countries in short amount of time and if you are lucky you can see some sick performance like this one from Burkina Faso fish number two trusting the wait time set by the staff you’ll see these staff holding signs at the end of each queue and when you ask how long the wait is they’ll give you number like about 90 minutes yeah I waited 40 so here’s the thing they almost always overestimate the wait time by 20 to 30 minutes i think it’s for setting a worst case scenario expectation so that you don’t get frustrated waiting longer on what they said that you need to wait for the person that you’re asking about the weight line sometimes their estimation is a bit lower than what what it is because they usually like put like buffer around 20 or 30 minutes what did I mention you can enter all the pavilions which brings me to mistake number three you can enter all the pavilion that you want you see this expo Osaka 2025 is not the same as other expo heck it’s not even the same with the previous expo 2020 in Dubai you can’t just go wherever you want some require time slot reservations in advance like bro I paid for full day tickets but they don’t allow you to enter all the pavilions some of them require like reservations to make the reservations you need to go to their official website some even need to be reserved weeks like the Japan pavilion and some of them requires like a proprietary app like the Italy pavilion here which brings me to mistake number four not using the app but buying this map instead if you look in the top three apps in the Japan app store right now Expo 2025 visitor app ranks number four that’s how useful the apps are notice I said apps instead of app because they have two apps and it is pretty confusing in my opinion so basically there are two main apps you need to know about first one’s called Espo 2025 Visitor this is the one where you can check your reservations and see info about the pavilions you book but weirdly it doesn’t give you directions it can tell where you are but won’t guide you anywhere then there’s the second one personal agent this one works kind of like Google Maps it will show you where to go in real time super helpful for getting around but the catch you can check your pavilions’s reservations on it yeah for some reason they split the features between the two so you kind of need both yeah i mean sure like one of them are good for maps while others are good for tickets but then why don’t you just merge it into one app like that’s pretty confusing to me mistake number five giving up on the pavilions that said that they were out of tickets for the day so as you walk along the expo you’ll notice a lot of signs that say stuff like this numbered entry tickets ended this is their system to limit how many guests can enter the pavilion at a certain time so yeah you want to look for something like this it has to It’s in Japanese but it’s written like 6:00 p.m for the opening like next opening is 6 p.m because like sometimes they for certain um pavilion like Ireland pavilion like this one they limit the amount of people who can enter it at a specific amount of time some of them would start the re-entering process in the evening again around 5:00 p.m so yeah I didn’t know that and I kind of give up by now you might be confused like which pavilion can I just walk into which one needs a reservation which one needs this weird ticketing system it’s a mess but don’t worry I’ve got you covered i made a map that covers like 150 plus of Palinian you might want to stick till the end of the video because like I’m going to share it there like it’s going to be very awesome all right on to mistake number six mistake number six thinking one day is enough one day is definitely not enough especially if you want to see more than three or four major pavilions eat rest and explore even two days are not enough mistake number seven i didn’t dress up like I was preparing for a marathon on a beach hear me out i’m not even exaggerating this is exactly how the expo felt like you need a proper walking shoes i walked around 15,000 steps this place is huge i’m not even joking okay don’t be like me like I mean like look at this i bought this shoe in Tur and I look at this it’s like it got like with no patterns here because like I use it like crazy walking and this this is a bad idea i mean it’s cheap as hell is it it is te but like guys don’t don’t do this you also need a hat umbrella sunglasses because the building height to land size ratio is astronomical pro tip bring one of these a portable chair and be careful what you bring they’ve got mad security like airport level backjacks they even got like this device to check water or drinks that you bring so that you don’t bring like some poison stuff or like radioactive stuff so plan recording okay guys so this place is the French pavilion food all right that brings me to mistake number eight buying food in pavilion to get full the reason that this is a mistake because you would never get full i mean you could get full but the price is freaking expensive so instead of buying food in Pavilion to get full you should buy the food in Pavilion to taste the culture to taste the authentic taste of that country because the prices are tripled compared to outside if you want to be full you might want to go to convenience store here because they have like Lawson inside but I reckon the price is a bit expensive the price is not that expensive at all like it’s exactly the same price so yeah convenience store is a good choice or even better hit the food court they’ve got halal options vegetarian menus and the prices won’t ruin your day mistake number nine coming during the weekend you see the expo is big but the crowd size even bigger if you come during the weekend you’re going to see something like this trust me you do not want that waiting times get exponentially longer like double or even triple so you do want to come here during the weekdays because first the number of people are way way less and also the tickets price are cheaper because the sheer number of people during the weekends is crazy you’ll feel like you’re in a liveaction simulation of a Tokyo rush hour right lastly mistake number 10 you didn’t subscribe and you didn’t use my app but wait wait don’t run away hear me out hear me out i have a good explanation on this i’ve been to this expo thrice now i did a lot of research i even bought this guide book for the expo and yeah now you think “Oh they have a guide book that is pretty cool.” Except it’s entirely in Japanese you have to scroll forever just to find what’s what and honestly the info in Japanese and English are totally different so being a triilingual I compiled everything in both languages and fed it into my travel app so the best part we got like 150 plus pavilions with map and also all the video previews and tips and tricks so they can just use the app and then see what are all of this f all about and be able to enter each pavilions without wasting your time so yeah this interactive map that I created has features where you can filter it is convenient because you can see which pavilions is free walkin without reservations and for example this one for Japan have like advanced reservation or free walk-in time from 9:30 to 10:30 and from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m so yeah speaking of travel app I’m actually on a mission i noticed that people travel around Japan but they travel around the same spot and I live here for 11 years and I’ve been in the best countryside in Japan for 6 years so my plan is to have people to travel more like to the heart of Japan because Japan has more to offer than just like Tokyo Osaka or like Kyoto like all this touristy spot so all I’m asking is to sign up to the witness because when the app is ready I’m going to pick like 100 users and then we’re going to test the app to make it better together so that’s like the 10 mistakes that I wish I knew before coming to this expo uh the thing is even though you know this mistakes it’s not going to be worth it if you don’t know which spin that you want to visit because some of them are not worth your time so you might want to subscribe to this channel and watch that video thanks for watching it really means a lot that you stuck around till the end by the way YouTube thinks you might like the video on the screen right now so you might want to check it out see you guys there bye-bye
Here are 10 mistakes I desperately wish I knew before I went to Osaka Expo 2025 — so you don’t end up wasting time, overheating, or missing the best pavilions.
From confusing reservation systems to unexpectedly long lines and brutal walking distances… this place is amazing but you need a plan.
In this video, you’ll see:
❌ What pavilions aren’t worth the wait
🎟️ How to actually reserve tickets (and why your ticket alone isn’t enough)
📱 Why the Expo has TWO separate apps (?!?)
🕶️ How to survive the heat + walking
🍜 Where to eat without going broke
🗺️ Bonus: how to get my full Expo survival map + AI itinerary tool
🔥 Links & Extras:
• Expo 2025 interactive Map: https://lostinmigration.com/map/expo2025
• Expo 2025 interactive blog: https://lostinmigration.com/blogs/5
• Official Expo Site: https://www.expo2025.or.jp/en/
✨ Check Out My App:
I’m building an AI travel app to help you explore Japan better — with real-time Expo tips, hidden gems, and instant itineraries.
👉 Get early access: https://lostinmigration.com
▶️ Say Hi on Social Media:
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ihsanengkutraveltips/
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ihsan.engku
▶️ Business Inquiries:
📩 ihsan94.dev@gmail.com
⏰ Timestamps:
00:00 – 00:09 | Intro
00:10 – 01:19 | Mistake 1: Not all pavilions are worth it
01:20 – 01:57 | Mistake 2: Trusting the wait time signs
01:58 – 02:32 | Mistake 3: Thinking I could enter any pavilion
02:33 – 03:39 | Mistake 4: Not using the Expo apps
03:40 – 04:48 | Mistake 5: Giving up when tickets are “gone”
04:49 – 05:00 | Mistake 6: Thinking 1 day is enough
05:01 – 06:11 | Mistake 7: Underestimating the heat + walking
06:12 – 07:06 | Mistake 8: Expecting to get full on pavilion food
07:07 – 07:42 | Mistake 9: Going on a weekend
07:43 – 08:49 | Mistake 10: Not using my app or subscribing
08:50 – 09:21 | Im trying to save Japan
09:22 – 09:40 | Conclusion
09:41 – 09:51 | Outro
🏷️ Video Tags:
#osaka #expo2025osaka #OsakaExpo #JapanTravel #TravelTips #JapanTripPlanning #TravelFails #HiddenJapan #ExpoMistakes #OsakaTravel #ExpoGuide2025
🚨 Don’t forget to LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and hit the bell for more honest (and slightly chaotic) Japan travel tips! 🎡🇯🇵 See you in the next one!
33 Comments
This is so useful! Thanks for making it so easy to understand. I cannot wait to use the map!
Thank you so so much! Your video was fantastic and really helpful. I'm excited to start using your map!
Really informative! Subscribed to your channel 🙌
I hadn't heard of the Personal Agent app (which is produced by NTT, not the Expo Association), so I installed it and checked it out. If you allow it to link with your Expo ID and ticket info, it WILL show you your reservations. Perhaps that feature was added recently, after your Expo visit. I'm not at the Expo right now (I went yesterday and will go again next week and several more times on a season ticket, as I live in Osaka), but I look forward to trying the directions feature when I'm there – yesterday we struggled to get places without running into dead ends.
Thanks. Going next month. I have had bad luck with the advanced pavilion lottery however.
Fening.. yang lotery tu apa pulak? Anyway great explaination
What was said is so true. Spent 3 days wandering and still not able to cover every pavilion which I wished to view.
Very helpful, thank you! We're planning our trip to Japan. We're going in two weeks, and we only have one day at the Osaka Expo. You've definitely saved us a ton of time, so thank you so much!
nice video bro
how is the weather over there right now, thanks 🙂
Thanks for the video. Arigatou much! This video is saved! More power!
Thank you for showing!🌸
So many useful tips. Thanks! I am looking forward to my July visit, but not the headache of all the prep work I need to do beforehand.
Hey thanks, heading to Expo in mid June, will def be trying out your ap/website to make entering pavilions easier!
Good info, I bought tickets 36 hours in advance for Friday in May. It wasn't as complicated as this video made it seem. China and Kuwait pavilions are next to eachother, but the amazing insides were not shown. The drone show wasn't shown. About 5% of people had the mini folding chairs, baby size. I'd recommend that. Get to the wooden structure before 2000 for the drone show. The deck got full.
Super helpful man! I’m going at the end of June!
i've been living here for 34 years and i'm a carpenter and at the end they asked me to come work at the expo and they were paying top dollar but it was such a hassle to even try to park and get my tools there i told him no i was happy to watch your video because i've been wondering what the conditions would be like there's no shade there's no place to get out of the sun wait till the summer starts
App please
Will your app be ready by June?
Don't waist your time and money. I am so disappointed. long wait to get to each pavilion.
Just got back. Went 5 times. My advice… Go either Early morning, like get there8-30 so you can be in the first wave to get in. or, go a 5pm to close. Pavillions are much easier to get into at these times. There are free water stations, bring a small empty bottle to refill as you need. Bring sunscreen, lunch time can be hard to get food, bring in a sandwich or snack.
Great video! I'm keeping my eye on the most recent videos since we'll be visiting the expo in July (yes, we're prepping for the expected heat). I'm an older person from the US and want to know if will have to use my data to use your app, or can I use it offline? Also, how can I find where the Gundam pavilion is using your map.
Love your VDO and your interactive App. Absolutely helpful for planning
Thank you so much for the great video! It was entertaining and educational and the tip with your app and the Apps from the Expo itself is awesome! Keep up the good work!
Personally I find the Expo ok, and if one has limited time in Japan, can skip Expo. The app was a letdown – too difficult to use and we did not manage to secure any actual day reservation. You need immense pre-event prep and research to visit the pavilions you want, and I do not think the experience the Expo offered in return was worth it. I went on a Wed and it's crazy crowded. Queing under the sun was unpleasant.
In summary, this expo is very poorly organised.
Is tripod or selfie stick are allowed to enter ?
Hi bro! Coming from the universal area which one is the right gate entrance for us? Thanks!!
Thank you for creating this video Honestly wasn’t going to click on it but something told me to go ahead and press play my family and I will be going to Tokyo in September and we just bought tickets for the expo and we’ll be going on a Tuesday. I just hope I’ll be able to get reservations for some of the pavilions two months then seven days three days and the day of I didn’t even realize about the second app so thank you that. Question what do you mean the Italian pavilion needs a different app? Also, I’m excited to try your up as well. Make it closer to the time. I will be downloading your app. Thank you.
Thanks for sharing. I’m going one day and I really want to know what’s worth my time.
Buying your shoes on Temu was your first mistake 😂
We were there 1 week ago totally disappointed long lines and over priced hype!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
which Pavilions that need reservation?