Part architectural showcase, part trade show, part biennale, Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan, is taking place between April and October 2025 and is expected to attract more than 28 million visitors to the artificial island of Yumeshima, making it one of the largest gatherings of the year. Taking place 55 years since the Osaka Expo ‘70, the world expo features 158 pavilions that represent nations, companies and organizations, designed to respond to the overall theme, “Designing Future Society for Our Lives,” with sub themes including “saving,” “empowering,” and “connecting” lives.
Set against the backdrop of an increasingly fractured world, the expo aims to deliver a vision where innovation, sustainability and cultural exchange shape our joint future. How did the participants deliver on that concept? With experiences steeped in the nations’ personalities, rich storytelling, and emotional connections that move even the most skeptical visitors.
With more than 120,000 visitors daily, it’s like an ongoing CES, complete with the crowds that start at the metro, brave the gates in the pouring rain, and form lines that can last for hours. Here’s what made it all worth it.
1. Striking, imaginative architecture.
It doesn’t take an architecture buff to appreciate the creative thought process and the construction mastery that went into producing these semi-permanent structures that have to instantly capture visitors’ attention while preserving the intrigue, not unlike trade show exhibits. In some cases, unique facades seemed to exhaust the creative limit, but the most impactful pavilions made it an integral part of the overall experience.
Entrances ranged from a focal point to a passage under lifted ropes. Mirrors added dimension and architectural elements. Whether a traditional Saudi Arabian souk with its maze of shaded narrow alleys, or Null² shimmering, vibrating structure made of voxels, the architecture set the stage for thoughtful and transformative engagement. See our Pavilions story on details.
2. Layered storytelling that appeals to multiple generations and levels of understanding.
Multiple pavilions succeeded at that: France took the theme of love and weaved it through awe-inspiring brand experiences featuring Louis Vuitton and Dior, along with sculptures and other cultural pieces for a narrative that left attendees transported. Spain talked about the role of oceans with stories of pirates presented as comics, and shifted gears to the future-looking topics of biofuel and renewable energy. The United States’ theme of space exploration satisfied curiosity with exhibits on equipment and science, but also made it fun with a lunar-landing attraction ride and a chance to see a lunar rock. Several pavilions, including Malaysia and Luxembourg, used augmented reality for layered storytelling. QR codes leading to explanations were a popular tool for digging deeper.
3. Co-creation that builds emotion.
The days of tech for tech’s sake are finally gone. Immersive visuals were a key part of many experiences, and that was to be expected, but what was different was the moment when technology became the exhibit’s electricity and fueled something greater than an impression. One of our favorite experiences was the final chapter of the journey through the Singapore pavilion, where attendees got to write or draw their dreams and watch their colorful representations ascend to the spheres that filled the atrium, creating a personal yet shared moment with true emotional resonance.
4. Sustainability as a key value.
Given that carbon neutrality and circularity are central to the expo’s theme, many pavilions incorporate these principles in their design and construction. Japan’s own pavilion operates on biogas generated from expo waste and showcases advanced clean energy solutions. Germany, along with other countries, uses biodegradable materials, including fungal mycelia, and hempcrete. The Blue Ocean Dome employs laminated bamboo, recycled paper tubes, and carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic to create recyclable, low-impact structures that spotlight marine conservation.
Perhaps in the largest manifestation of sustainability, the Grand Wooden Ring that circles the expo, stands out as the world’s largest wooden architectural structure, using traditional Japanese joinery and modular timber that can be dismantled and repurposed after the event, minimizing waste. Expo components, including the Ring, can be matched with a new project through the Expo Circular Market Myaku-Ichi program.
5. Exhibit displays that speak volumes.
Some of the exhibit displays that gathered the most attention added an intuitive learning dimension or set high-tech storytelling in a traditional setting. Case in point: in the China pavilion, historic artifacts were displayed in glass cases that also served as interactive screens, allowing for deeper learning and engagement. At the United Arab Emirates pavilion, stories of medical professionals were told through miniature figures placed on interactive screens and innovation stories shared on screens sliding along a cloth on a loom.
6. Kinetic LED architecture.
We first saw it at CES 2025, LED screens are no longer static, bringing a new, impactful dimension to storytelling. For example, at the Pasona Natureverse pavilion, one of the key elements was a towering LED installation that rearranges its shape depending on the dramatic content on its surfaces.
7. Engagement in lines.
If your attendees are stuck in line, why not make it fun and turn it into an interactive prelude? At the China pavilion, guests can scan a QR code on signs or a cute bookmark with a panda for access to a multilingual digital guide and short films about the pavilion’s exhibits, including the AI-powered Monkey King and lunar exploration artifacts. The France pavilion also offers QR codes along the line that link to a virtual tour and exclusive video content about the pavilion’s art, fashion, and culinary highlights, while Luxembourg’s AR-enabled QR codes let guests explore 3D models of national landmarks and access background stories about the country’s history and innovations.
8. Missed opportunities.
If all the attendees are offered is a video in a space they can’t escape, they won’t tell their friends to come. If they’re walking through a tunnel with nothing on the walls except for a few official portraits, it’s a long wall of missed opportunity. If they’re forced to read a large chunk of text, they won’t and it will kill their attention. Granted, producing an exhibit of this magnitude includes pleasing many stakeholders, but it can’t be at the expense of the experience.
9. Digital barriers.
To attend the expo, visitors had to create an online profile, buy tickets, register for two-month and seven-day lotteries to attend pavilions (we won one entrance) and log in every time for any information, including the QR code for entrance if they didn’t screenshot it. If they bought a ticket at a convenience store, they still had to do the online part to reserve an entrance time. Time in line was spent mostly trying to book the same-day appointment for pavilions that didn’t have a free line. The info was changing in real time and often canceling reservations you thought were made. The app, including its supposedly AI-powered part, was laggy and didn’t provide real-time info on lines, which is one thing most people wanted.
10. White space matters.
In casual conversations, several attendees mentioned that the most underrated part of the expo experience was the Grand Ring. They enjoyed taking a moment away from the crowds and the sensory overload to walk in the breeze, take in the view of the ocean and enjoy its roof gardens. The same went for the Forest of Tranquility in the center of the expo, because the richer the space the more you need a moment to process and reflect.
Bonus: The human connection still makes all the difference.
Whether someone helps you navigate a packed metro in a foreign language, or shows you how to open a packet of mustard and ketchup (squeeze together) or does a little dance while pouring the strongest coffee of your life (Brazil), it reminds us for all our differences, our shared future depends on human connection and is so much better when we meet, listen and play together.
Even More Scenes from Expo 2025 Osaka:
Photo Credit: Anna Huddleston
