Going to the EXPO2025 Osaka/Kansai Expo!

April 13, 2025 – The Osaka/Kansai Expo has finally opened!
I made the trip from Narita City in Chiba Prefecture all the way to Yumeshima in Osaka—and here’s my report on how it went.

I arrived at Yumeshima Station, the last stop on the Osaka Metro Chuo Line, around 3:00 PM on the opening day on April 13.
As I passed through the subway gates and rode the escalator up, I looked back to see a large Yumeshima sign made out of pine trees welcoming visitors.

Just outside the station, the East Gate to the venue appeared almost immediately.
Right after entering, I was greeted by a large monument of Myakumyaku-kun, the expo’s mascot, along with a friendly “Irasshaimase!” message.

Unfortunately, the weather on opening day wasn’t great. There were strong winds and sideways rain, but even through all of that, I could hear music coming from somewhere.
Drawn in by the sound, I followed it and soon spotted a familiar logo on one of the speakers.

An Electro-Voice SX300PI!
I even peeked around the back to double-check—and sure enough, that’s what it was.

Electro-Voice (EV) / SX300PI – All-weather passive speaker

To see this classic (and weatherproof) speaker in action at the Expo venue—well, that’s the mark of a true industry staple.

After walking a bit further, I reached one of the main highlights of this Expo: the Grand Roof Ring.

This massive ring-shaped wooden structure surrounds the entire venue and has actually been registered in the Guinness World Records as the “‘largest wooden building in the world”.
There are escalators that take you up to the top of the ring, where you can enjoy panoramic views of the venue.
Interestingly, the way the wooden joints were constructed varied depending on the section, which made it really fun to observe. There were also speakers installed at different points along the ring, but since they didn’t have any visible logos or model numbers, their identities remain a mystery…

Since I was already there, I figured I might as well go up to the upper level of the ring. But because of the height and the bad weather, my foldable umbrella kept blowing inside out—and I ended up soaking wet…
I’m sure the view would’ve been amazing on a clear day, but unfortunately, I had to give up halfway through.

The venue was divided into two main areas—outside the ring featured exhibitions from Japanese companies, while the inside was reserved for international pavilions representing countries from around the world.

■ China

■ Singapore

■ Azerbaijan

■ Turkey

■ Spain

■ United States

■ France

These are just a few of the many pavilions—there were honestly so many more countries represented.
Each one featured its own unique and distinctive architecture, making it a fascinating experience just walking around and looking at the buildings!

As I made my way across the ring and went closer to the West Gate… what suddenly came into view was—Gundam!!

This towering figure, standing around 17 meters tall, gets lit up at night, making it look even cooler.
I couldn’t help but hum a little “Moéagareee~♪” to myself (laughs).

To close out the day, I attended the Opening Special Live by singer Ado, which was held at the venue’s outdoor space, EXPO Arena.

I’ve been to Ado’s concerts multiple times, but this was my first-ever outdoor live performance in the rain.
Thankfully, the rain let up right as the show began. I was standing about 10 meters from the stage witnessing what is likely a once-in-a-lifetime commemorative concert at the Expo–an experience I will truly never forget.

So, what did you think?
The Expo was absolutely packed with things to see and do—so much so that one day definitely wasn’t enough to explore the pavilions thoroughly.

Since the Expo runs for about six months, I highly recommend checking it out if you're even a little bit interested.
Until next time!