Expo 2025 Osaka: Must-see Tips before you enter! 4 popular pavilions to visit. 1:1 Gundam + the world's largest wooden building ‘Grand Ring’

What is the World Expo? 

World Expos are events that allow countries around the world to interact with each other. The first World Expo was held in London in 1851; and the most familiar one to Hong Kong people is the Shanghai World Expo in 2010, which was held in China, and many of my friends and relatives flew to Shanghai to support it!

How to buy tickets: 

If you are planning to visit the Osaka Expo, we recommend you to log in the official website (https://www.expo2025.or.jp/) to buy tickets in advance. First, choose the date of admission and gate (divided into East Gate and West Gate), and then participate in the pavilion lottery on the website, there are three chances in total, which are 2-month prior lottery, 7-day prior lottery, or try to make an appointment directly on the Expo website 3 days before to the day before your visit.

If you are unlucky enough not to be able to reserve your favourite pavilion, you will have to queue up after entering the venue or check the Expo mobile app to see if there are any immediate vacancies.

Transportation: 

Osaka Expo is divided into two entrances, East Gate and West Gate, with East Gate located outside of Yumeshima Station, which is a convenient 30-minute ride on the Osaka Metro Chuo Line!

Must-take photos! The World's Largest Wooden Building ‘Grand Ring’

When it comes to the most important must-see spot at this year's Osaka World Expo, it must be the oversized round wooden corridor building, Grand Ring, which is located in the middle of the venue. Designed by Japanese architect Fujimoto Shosuke, Grand Ring is the world's largest wooden structure with a height of 12 metres and a length of 1.2 kilometres, inspired by the traditional Japanese temple construction method ‘Nuki’ and modern building techniques! In addition to connecting the various exhibition areas, visitors can also climb up to the platform of Grand Ring to overlook the Expo site.

Check out the 4 most popular pavilions 

1. GUNDAM NEXT FUTURE PAVILION

Whether you are a fan of Gundam or not, you must visit the GUNDAM NEXT FUTURE PAVILION at the World Expo! A 1:1 scale RX-78F00/E Gundam is placed outside the Gundam Pavilion, nearly 17 metres tall, and is kneeling on one knee to meet you, which is very impressive and is one of the landmarks of this year's Expo. A 50-minute long exhibition is also set up in the Pavilion. Through light, sound and interactive installations, you can take a journey into space with Gundam!

2. China Pavilion 

The China Pavilion inspired by the Chinese traditional calligraphy scroll, has an eye-catching appearance and is one of the largest foreign-built pavilions in the venue, making it highly topical, with long queues at the entrance. The theme of the China Pavilion is ‘Building a Community of Life for Man and Nature – Future Society of Green Development’, and it is divided into three zones, namely ‘Harmony between Humanity and Nature’, 'Green Mountains and Clear Waters’and 'Endless Life’. 

A must-see is the ‘Harmony between Humanity and Nature’ zone, which uses digital light and shadow technology to reinterpret the 24 traditional Chinese solar terms. In addition, the ‘Endless Life’ section highlights the latest achievements of China's moon exploration project, featuring samples of lunar sand brought back by Chang'e 5 and Chang'e 6 after they landed on the moon, which is a rare opportunity to see for yourself!

3. Japan Pavilion 

As the host country of this year's World Expo, Japan has put a lot of effort into its own pavilion. The Japan Pavilion’s theme is ‘Between Lives’, consists of three major exhibition areas, namely Plant, Farm and Factory, and is full of technology. The most appealing part of the exhibition is the Algae Resources section, where 32 “Algae x Hello Kitty” will be displayed. Hello Kitty will be combined with different types of algae and transformed into kombu, sea grapes and other types of algae, which are super cute! In addition, Doraemon will also make an appearance as a tour guide, which is very friendly.

4. PASONA NATUREVERSE Pavilion 

The PASONA NATUREVERSE Pavilion, set up by the Pasona Group of Japan, combines science and technology with art under the theme of ‘Thank You, Life’, and every design in the pavilion is full of ingenuity. After entering the pavilion, the public will be guided by the cartoon characters Astro Boy and Black Jack, the eccentric doctor, to appreciate the possibilities of future technological development. There is also the world's first ‘mini heart’ on display, which is made of iPS cells and can simulate the beating of a real heart, making people marvel at the advancement of technology!

After visiting the pavilions, remember to go to the exhibition shop to buy limited souvenirs. There are so many people inside that you have to act quickly if you want to buy your favorites. If you have time, you can catch Pokémon in the venue.

Expo 2025 Osaka

Address: 1-chome, Konohana-ku, Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture (Osaka Yumeshima)

Exhibition Period: 13 Apr -13 Oct, 2025

Exhibition Time: 9am-10pm

Website: expo2025.or.jp

Transportation: Take the Osaka Metro Chuo Line to Yumeshima Station and walk for about a few minutes.