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Two months have passed since the 2025 World Expo in Japan (Osaka-Kansai Expo) opened. All the pavilions are a huge success, but there are probably many pavilions you haven't been to yet. For those of you who have been there, we'd like to introduce you to some hidden spots and recommended gourmet food at the Expo.
Gold-Guide is a guide matching platform operated by JR West Communications Co., Ltd., which matches tourists visiting Japan with highly skilled interpreter guides and provides guided tours. In this article, Gold-Guide, which has a track record of guiding tours in various areas of Japan, will introduce a new way to enjoy the Expo.
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The World Expo is an event that brings together many people and things from all over the world, and is a place where wisdom from all over the world comes together to address various global issues.
The Osaka Expo (EXPO'70), held in 1970 as the first such event to be held in Japan and Asia, became a major event that symbolized Japan's rapid economic growth.
The 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo will be the first international exposition to be held in Japan in 20 years, following the 2005 Expo held in Aichi.
There are various ways to get to the Expo, including by boat or shuttle bus, but this time I took the shuttle bus from Sakurajima.
The shuttle bus from Sakurajima will take you to the West Gate of the Expo site in about 15 minutes. We recommend this bus as it is less crowded than the East Gate, which is expected to be crowded even before the site opens, due to the large number of visitors expected.
People enjoy the Osaka Kansai Expo in their own way. One way is to make reservations in advance and plan your visit, but there is also a different charm to wandering around the facilities at your own pace without making reservations.
However, advance reservations for pavilions are very popular, and it is not uncommon that you cannot reserve at the time you want. When this happens, your other activities are restricted to accommodate the reserved time, which can make you feel less free and inefficient than you would like.
So, we recommend a "rock tour" for families with small children and those who want to enjoy the Expo without being tied down to a schedule. At the last Expo in Osaka in 1970, the "moon rock" brought back by Apollo 12 was exhibited at the American Pavilion, which caused a big stir. We will be showcasing some incredibly valuable items that are just as amazing.
The Future Life Village, an exhibition room near the West Gate with the theme of "Life in the Future," displays about 50 types of meteorites collected from all over the world. You can have a rare experience of tapping on a meteorite found over 100 years ago and listening to the sound it makes.
Here you can actually touch the "Moon Rocks" on display in the extremely popular American Pavilion and the "Mars Rocks" on display in the Japanese Pavilion. (You cannot touch the moon rocks on display in the American Pavilion.)
Fossils of "dinosaur egg nests" are also on display, so it's recommended for small children. Seeing and touching objects that came from outer space and things that are more than tens of thousands of years old is a rare experience, and there is a romance that transcends time and space.
At the Osaka Kansai Expo, you can try food from all over the world, but there are so many options that it can be hard to decide where or what to eat. If that sounds like you, we recommend Expo Kura Sushi.
On a vast site of 799.55㎡, a new store will be created featuring Kura Sushi's characteristic lattice pattern (sea cucumber pattern) and a giant 6m-high symbol of the conveyor belt sushi essential, the "antibacterial sushi cover, Freshness-kun." Inside the store, in addition to the 135-meter lane, there will be a total of 338 seats , making it the largest and most impressive store in Kura Sushi's history.
The interior of the restaurant has a Japanese modern design that gives off a warm wooden feel, and a huge rotating belt and plates are symbolically painted on the ceiling from the waiting room to the dining area. This creates an impressive dining space that is unique to the Kura Sushi Osaka Kansai Expo store for customers who visit the restaurant.
A collection of symbolic menu items from about 70 countries and regions. All 70 types of menu items can be enjoyed at Kura Sushi Osaka Kansai Expo store. (*Normal Kura Sushi stores only offer one type per store.)
You can easily enjoy food from around the world, including the Lithuanian dish "Šaltibarščai," which can only be tasted at the Kura Sushi Osaka Kansai Expo store. Please try it and see how many countries' dishes you can eat at once. The Gold-Guide staff was full after 44 dishes and was unable to try all the dishes. We will try again next time with the remaining dishes!!
Unfortunately, it was raining on the day Gold-Guide staff visited. Many pavilions had people lining up under roofs or indoors, and the area under the large roof ring could serve as a temporary shelter from heavy rain, so it turned out that it was still possible to enjoy the exhibition even in the rain. In fact, considering the recent heatwaves, it might have been better for the rain to have come! There were several large puddles, such as in the middle of the queue at the American Pavilion, so we recommend wearing comfortable shoes that you don't mind getting wet.
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[Gold-Guide] is a platform that matches tourists visiting Japan with excellent interpreter guides and offers guided tours. We provide memorable guided tours for customers looking for a special experience in Japan. We want to share the charm of Japan with people all over the world.
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