Osaka–Kansai Expo 2025: How I Visited 22 Pavilions in One Day Without Reservations

Afternoon: The challenge is how many same-day slots you can secure

I started the afternoon at the Future City Pavilion on the seaside near the West Gate. It27s a joint exhibition by Japanese companies and one of the largest pavilions at the Expo. The tour took about an hour, and the content was rich in information.

After exiting the Future City Pavilion, I explored exhibits in the Future Life Village related to what I studied as a student, then refueled with food from a convenience store inside the venue.

There are special restaurants tied to various pavilions, but since I was solo this time, I stuck to a plan of seeing as many pavilions as possible. If I could visit multiple times, I27d like to try the restaurants too.

The same-day registration site was practically overwhelmed and I could barely reserve anything, so I continued with first-come pavilions. I wanted to soak up different cultures, especially from African and Asian countries without nonstop flights from Japan.

I toured the pavilions of Bangladesh, Senegal, Cambodia, and Algeria, which are close to one another. Some are countries I27ve visited and some I haven27t, but I noted each pavilion27s unique features and committed them to memory. By this time it was after 2:00 p.m., and the grounds felt crowded and a bit hard to walk. Some pavilions felt busy too, but I took it as an opportunity to look carefully.

I headed back toward the East Gate to see the Peru Pavilion. I was happy to find Inca Kola for sale at the shop (the photo shows me enjoying Inca Kola in Lima, Peru). While convenience stores and vending machines are the quickest for drinks, these little cultural touches can refresh the mind.

I visited Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates, and Mozambique, each with a wait of at most around 30 minutes (Malaysia). Having identified other overseas pavilions I wanted to see, I then headed to the Gundam Pavilion, for which I had secured a same-day slot.

Although I don27t know Gundam in depth, I still enjoyed it thoroughly. As with many Expo pavilions, even if you lack deep background knowledge, you can have a great time if you bring curiosity.

While intermittently refueling with sports drinks and fried chicken from convenience stores, I headed at sunset to the Kansai Pavilion, which I booked while waiting at the Gundam Pavilion. I toured exhibits from each prefecture; the 22Oinai to Mie22 campaign (Visit Mie), which gifts Mie gourmet items if you visit Mie Prefecture after coming to the booth, looked especially appealing.

Afterward I visited the Qatar Pavilion, which I27ve seen on trips before, then headed to the 22Inochi no Akashi22 (Testament to Life) Pavilion on a same-day registration. Beyond the content itself, I felt this is a must-see as a unique pavilion that relocated a school building. It27s an unusual, approximately one-hour, no-early-exit experience, but very rewarding.

After leaving the 22Inochi no Akashi22 Pavilion, I went to the Life Playground Jellyfish Hall (Inochi no Asobiba 22Kurage-kan22), which had intrigued me from the outside. Watching somewhat tired adults playing with abandon in the 22Inochi no Yuragi-ba22 play area, I grabbed a same-day cancellation spot on the highway bus from the Expo site to Busta Shinjuku.

I wrapped up slightly in a hurry, but left the venue on the 8:55 p.m. EXPO Eco Dream No. 2 jointly operated by the two JR Bus companies, avoiding the crowds of the subway and other public transit.

The afternoon focused on smaller pavilions, and I visited 15 in total. From the first train arriving at Yumeshima at 5:39 a.m. to the 8:55 p.m. EXPO Eco Dream No. 2, I toured 22 pavilions in about 13 hours.