My first trip to Expo 2025 Osaka was a reconnaissance mission (you can read about that adventure HERE). For visits two, three, and four, I decided to take a different approach: booking a room on a small nearby island that’s home to Osakako Station and the Osaka Aquarium – Kaiyukan. From there, it’s just a quick two-stop, seven-minute hop on the Chuo Line to the Expo’s east entrance.
If you’re considering an overnight in Osaka option, I cannot recommend it enough. Having a nearby escape for a midday break was nothing short of a lifesaver. Here’s why…
The Midday Challenge
Most of your time at the Expo will be spent on your feet—walking, lining up, and standing in the sun. While some pavilions are cool, many are only ‘partially’ air-conditioned, with doors propped open and crowds streaming in. Add Japan’s infamous humidity, and it becomes a test of endurance.
The shaded area under the entire Grand Ring is always available, but from midday it is packed with other visitors, most of whom end up sitting on the ground. In fact, from about noon until 5 p.m., the entire expo is severely overcrowded – it is difficult to find anything to see that doesn’t require waiting in a line.
A Smart Arrival Strategy
Here’s a trick that worked for me: book the earliest possible entrance slot, but don’t arrive on time. Instead, aim for about 30–40 minutes later.
For example, with a 9:00 a.m. entry, I’d arrive around 9:40. By then, most of the 9:00 crowd has already gone through, while those with 10:00 slots are waiting at separate gates that don’t open until the top of the hour. It’s a sweet spot when lines for your designated time are shortest. Just don’t push it—if you show up too late (say, after 9:55), you’ll be lumped in with the next wave.
Once inside, head straight to a cluster of pavilions that interest you. Early in the day I could usually tour a few in a row with minimal waiting. That said, for the big names—France, China, the USA—lines were always daunting. I skipped them altogether.
Food Finds Around the Expo
At 11:15, start thinking about lunch. Around that time, it’s relatively easy to find an indoor seat. By 11:30, the hunt begins, and by noon, queues snake out from all air-conditioned venues.
Yes, there are plenty of Japanese dishes—especially Osaka’s beloved “B-gourmet” specialities – but this is, after all, a World Expo. Most national pavilions include some kind of food offering: a restaurant, café, or at least a take-out counter. Many are outdoor-only (tough during the sweltering afternoons), and some indoor ones are hidden inside the pavilion itself, which means you have to get into the exhibit first. Others are conveniently visible… and therefore mobbed. The real gems are the lesser-known or tucked-away spots.
A few favorites meals from my visits:
• Saigon Yatai (East Ringside Marketplace): A simple food court. I enjoyed a fragrant Vietnamese curry.
• Panaf (West Ringside Marketplace): I had a tasty African shrimp salad at a long communal table, and then moved to a cute mini sofa to watch a live music performance. The atmosphere here is fantastic.
• Nepal Food Court: I grabbed a quick street-style snack that I ate on the go.
• Sidra, Kuwait Pavilion: a stylish, hidden restaurant pulsing with dance music, where I lingered over lamb machboos and a mocktail at its curved bar counter. Most people don’t make it past the café at the base of the pavilion’s wide staircase (which is good for a more casual bite), so there are often seats at Sidra – which located at the top of the stairs.
Pavilion Impressions
Some of the pavilion were visually stunning, but didn’t go any deeper – Australia was in this category. A visit to Saudi Arabia began with a very unexpected live poetry reading, followed by some excellent exhibits. I mentioned in my previous article that I really enjoyed the UAE pavilion, that still holds true, I even went back in a second time.
But, of all the pavilions I visited, Malaysia was the most impressive – in fact, it blew me away. They really understood the assignment and were able to present Malaysia’s culture, technology, innovation, and hopes for the future in a variety of exhibits that were sophisticated, educational, but also fun and easy to understand.
Indonesia is probably the most friendly and enthusiastic pavilion. Lively music greets passersby while a young, multi-lingual staff regularly break into song and impromptu dance performances – often inviting visitors to join in.
Live music is definitely a highlight of the expo, as are the unique temporary structures and other architectural innovations.
Tip: No matter which pavilions you check out, don’t let the flow of others influence you. In particular, stop and watch the large screen video presentations. I also recommend that you ask questions and chat with pavilion staff members. There are a lot of interesting people working within the expo, but most just end up directing pedestrian traffic.
Why Evenings Are Magical
If possible, take a break in the afternoon. Either retreat to your hotel or find somewhere cool to recharge for a couple of hours. Without it, you’ll be too drained to carry on – and you definitely don’t want to miss the evening.
As sunset approaches, the Expo transforms. Crowds thin a bit as tired visitors stream home. A light ocean breeze sweeps through (and over) the Grand Ring. With a cool drink in hand, strolling the top of the circle becomes its own attraction. The sky fades from orange to indigo, pavilions light up below, live music performances pop up here and there, and the Expo atmosphere becomes truly magical.
There is a short 5-10 minute fireworks show every night. They are best viewed from the top of the Grand Circle or along the Water Plaza.
Tip: If you watch them from the top of the Grand Circle, be sure to stand near one of the staircases so you don’t get stuck up there behind hundreds of people when they all try to return to the ground.
Or, skip the fireworks altogether and visit country pavilions. Due to the fireworks, many lines shorten or disappear.
Surprisingly, leaving the venue goes quite smoothly, but be prepared to do some walking. Although the station is just outside the East Exit, to control crowds, you will have to snake around multiple barriers, with thousands and thousands of other people, to get into the train station and down to the platform. That said, on all four visits I was able to board a waiting train as soon as I reached the platform itself. If you wait for a subsequent train, you might even be able to get a seat.
Although the expo is open until 10pm, almost everything closed at 8:30pm. So, be sure that you are seated in a restaurant, have already eaten, or have food in hand, by that time. My advice is that you pick up take-out dinner, drinks, or dessert and take a seat, again, either along the Water Plaza or looking down upon it from the top of the Grand Circle for an evening water and light show, followed by a drone exhibition (check in advance, they might not do this every night).
Staying near the Expo
*One stop on the Chuo Line from the East Exit of the expo is a small island accessed through Cosmos Square Station. Three higher end hotels, Grand Prince, Quintessa Hotel, and Hoshino Risonare are located in front of a convention center about 15 minutes’ walk (or a short shuttle ride) from that station. Note: There is nothing to see/do/eat on this island.
*Two stops on the Chuo Line from the East Exit of the expo is another small island accessed through Osakako Station. This island is home to wide variety of entertainment: a giant Ferris wheel, a modern art museum, Japan’s largest aquarium, a museum filled with an incredible private car collection, and more. There is also a good selection of local places to eat. The nicest hotels here are the Hotel Seagull Tempozan and Hotel Sails. I stayed at the Bande Hotel Tempozan, a budget hotel. It was simple, but clean and quiet. There are also a number of guest houses and rental condominiums.
*Bentencho Station is a major transit point for visitors to the expo. It is only 4 stops, 12 minutes, from the east exit. There is one nice hotel, the Art Hotel Osaka Bay Tower, and various guest houses near this station. The Art Hotel is connected to a small shopping/dining mall that contains Solaniwa Onsen – a fantastic hot spring ‘amusement center’.
*Across the Aji River is a peninsula containing Universal Studios Japan. There are about ten large resort hotels around the park. Although close geographically, train access is not that convenient. There is, however, a ferry (reservations required), to/from the west exit of the Expo.
*A very unique accommodation option near the expo is on Maishima, another small island nearby. I visited this resort last August and wrote about it HERE. I believe they offer shuttle service to the expo.
Note: Some of the better hotels may offer shuttle service to the expo.