World expos are global gatherings of nations that take place every 5 years with the aim of finding solutions to current challenges, and in 2025 Osaka, Japan, is the host. The huge global event is now underway.
Expo 2025 remain open for 6 months, from April 13 until October 13, 2025.
This is the third time Osaka, which is in the Kansai region of Honshu, will host the World Expo; it previously held the exhibition in 1970 and 1990.
Find out the most important details about Expo 25 on this page to help you plan your visit.
Table of Contents
- 1 Where in Osaka is Expo 2025 being held?
- 2 How to get to the Expo 2025 site in Osaka
- 3 When is Osaka Expo 2025?
- 4 What is the theme of Expo 2025 in Osaka?
- 5 People’s Living Lab concept
- 6 What are the goals of Expo 2025 in Osaka?
- 7 Expo 2025 logo and mascot
- 8 How to get tickets for Expo 2025
- 9 Expo 2025 participants
Where in Osaka is Expo 2025 being held?
The 2025 Expo is located on Yumeshima Island in Osaka. Having it in Yumeshima provides visitors a panoramic view of Osaka Bay.
The Expo site itself has an area of 1.55 km2. It’s surrounded by a circular structure made of timber, drawing inspiration from Japan’s historical wood construction traditions. Visitors can access the roof and walk around the site.
Sou Fujimoto, the architect in charge of developing the site, explained to Designboom that, “On the rooftop, visitors can go up and experience a lifted surface that resembles a bank, allowing them to appreciate the sky above and feel completely immersed in the environment.”
How to get to the Expo 2025 site in Osaka
Transportation has been adapted to make it easy to reach Yumeshima island for the event. The site is accessible from Osaka by metro and a number of shuttle bus services.
A new metro station was opened in January 2025 that connects the site to Osaka’s Metro Chou Line, called “Yumeshima”.
With the JR Pass, you can get there more easily and on a budget by:
- Taking a shuttle bus to Yumeshima Station from JR Osaka Station or JR Sakurajima Station
- Taking the Osaka Loop Line to JR Bentencho Station and then transfer to Yumeshima Station via the Osaka Metro Chuo Line
However, it is important to note that neither the shuttle bus nor the Osaka Metro Chuo Line are not covered by the JR Pass.
If you arrive in Osaka by Shinkansen, you can transfer from Shin-Osaka to JR Osaka Station in 5 minutes on the JR Kyoto Line.
Then, from Osaka, you can take a quick shuttle bus ride or take the Osaka Loop Line to go to JR Nishikujo Station and then transfer to the JR Yumesaki Line to JR Skurajima Station. From there, you can take a different shuttle bus to Yumeshima.
JR Bentencho Station is also on the Osaka Loop line, and you can transfer there to the Osaka Metro Chuo line to Yumeshima.
Also, if you are arriving at Kansai Airport, you can reach the Expo by taking a direct shuttle bus or the Kansai Airport Line to JR Tennoji Station and then taking the Osaka Loop Line to one of the following stations:
- JR Bentencho
- JR Nishikujo (to JR Sakurajima)
- JR Osaka
When is Osaka Expo 2025?
The World Expo in Osaka will take place over 6 months (184 days) in 2025. The event opnedon April 13, 2025, and will close on October 13, 2025.
World Expos are unrivaled international events in terms of their duration. Lasting half a year, millions of visitors from across the world get the opportunity to participate.
Approximately 28 million visitors are expected during the 6-month exhibition.
What is the theme of Expo 2025 in Osaka?
The Expo 2025 theme is Designing Future Society for Our Lives. It aims to make people think about how they want to live and will promote the creation of sustainable societies.
The Osaka World Expo theme has been selected in response to ongoing social changes. The development of technology, such as AI and biotechnology, will have a significant impact on humankind, including increasing life expectancy.
The theme has also been shaped by COVID-19. The global pandemic has led to changes in people’s values and lifestyles and has left the world facing new challenges. Expo 2025 is an opportunity for the world to come together and discuss the theme of ‘life’.
Designing Future Society for Our Lives has 3 sub–themes:
- Connecting lives: Focuses on building communities and engagement through information technology and data-driven societies.
- Empowering lives: Improving the lives of individuals and helping them reach their potential with AI and robotics is what this theme looks at.
- Saving lives: Centers on protecting life against infectious diseases and how to prevent disasters.
People’s Living Lab concept
The concept of the 2025 event is ‘People’s Living Lab’. This laboratory for a future society acts as:
- A space for people from around the world to view exhibits and co-create future society
- An online platform for sharing challenges and solutions
- A place to bring together knowledge, share ideas, and help resolve global issues
What are the goals of Expo 2025 in Osaka?
The main goals of Osaka’s World Expo are to promote a society that achieves the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set out by the United Nations.
It also aims to present the vision of Japan’s national strategy 5.0.
There are 17 specific targets that will be addressed throughout the Osaka exhibition:
- No Poverty
- Zero hunger
- Good health and wellbeing
- Quality education
- Gender equality
- Clean water and sanitation
- Affordable and clean energy
- Decent work and economic growth
- Industry, innovation, and infrastructure
- Reduced inequality
- Sustainable cities and communities
- Responsible consumption and production
- Climate action
- Life below water
- Life on land
- Peace, just, and strong institutions
- Partnership for achieving goals
Expo 2025 logo and mascot
A competition was held to design the logo for Expo 2025. The jury met in August 2020 to select the best logo out of more than 5,000 entries.
The selected logo is an irregular ring of red circles. The logo’s creator, Shimada Tamotu, explained that the circles represent living cells, or a chain of DNA, tying it to the Expo 2025 theme.
As Osaka is sometimes referred to as Japan’s City of Water, the Expo 2025 mascot is a shapeshifter that can change its form, like water. The logo is incorporated into the mascot’s face.
How to get tickets for Expo 2025
You can get your admission tickets for Expo 2025 in Osaka in the following ways:
- The official ticket sales website
- Travel agencies
The e-tickets available online can be bought through your smartphone or computer by following these steps:
- Register for your Expo ID
- Choose your type and number of tickets
- Pay for the tickets
- Reserve admission date
- Book events, pavilions, etc. that you plan to attend
Anyone interested in attending should stay up to date with the latest updates on the Expo website.
Expo 2025 participants
Many countries are participating in the Expo 2025 in Osaka. This includes around 150 nations, as well as the following international organizations:
- African Union
- ASEAN
- European Union
- International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
- International Solar Alliance
- International Science and Technology Center
- ITER
- Pacific Islands Forum
- United Nations
56 countries and regions have pavilions for the Expo, including:
- Australia
- Austria
- Belgium
- Brazil
- Canada
- China
- Czech Republic
- Germany
- Italy
- Japan
- Luxembourg
- Netherlands
- Oman
- Poland
- Saudi Arabia
- Slovakia
- South Korea
- Spain
- Switzerland
- Nordic Region (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden)
For example, the Netherlands pavilion focuses on the theme “Common Ground: creating a new dawn together.” It is designed in the shape of an illuminated sphere to symbolize clean energy and sustainability, as well as the rising sun.
If you would like to see the photos and themes of each pavilion, you can visit the official participants’ page.