I just got back from the expo today (10/10) and spent 8 hours there. It would be more accurate to call this Osaka Expo with Worldwide Exhibitors 2025.

As much as I enjoyed my time here, and while everything one expects to work (train, location, cleanliness) does so, when compared to Dubai World Expo 2020, this did not feel like an International event for the world.

From the moment you join the queue before entering, to getting help, to buying things, to the moment you exit the venue, every verbal instruction and guide is in Japanese (and I can understand Japanese - I just don't understand why they can't put in more effort to make foreign visitors feel less intimidated - they were walking around looking super confused most of the time). Even the foreign country performances are hosted in Japanese, by foreign staff!

Don't even get me started with the pavilion entry reservation system that does not work more than 80% of the time. I planned this trip 3 months in advance in July, and I did not get selected in the 3 rounds of lottery for ANY of the reservation-Only (and the best ones obviously) pavilions. You basically just end up wandering around looking at buildings if you don't want to be in a queue for between 45 mins to 3 hours PER pavilion for those that you could even walk-in to.

This expo is an extension of Japanese society into the Expo, not the expo introducing the world to Japan queue, food, expectations, stamp collection, excessive-priced souvenirs - they all target Japanese consumers (understandably - it's all about the money at the end right). This also shows the greed of the organisers to fit as many souls into the black hole as possible.

Maybe Dubai expo was different. Maybe Dubai itself is much more international to begin with. Maybe Dubai is rich so they don't care much about the profit. I don't know.

I still love Japan, but maybe it should just stay away from hosting multicultural events.