Date: 11th July 2025

The second day of guiding the Expo, I had tried to reserve a direct shuttle bus from the hotel terminal to the West Gate of the Expo, about a month before when I received the booking from my guest, but the bus at a convenient time was already full. For this reason, I was thinking of taking a train from the hotel to Sakurajima Station and then a shuttle bus from there. In other words, I was planning to go to the West Gate by reversing the route we took on the first day.

When I told my guest about this, the husband of the guest said that he was a little tired on the return journey after changing trains on the first day, and wanted to take a taxi from the hotel. Also, when watching the morning news on the 11th, I learned that the spectacle of air and water show, which had been suspended for over a month due to water quality issues, would be resumed. Until the day before, we thought the water show would remain suspended, so our guest also planned to leave the venue a little earlier than on the first day and have dinner near the hotel.

For this reason, we decided to change our plans for the second day a little and stay at the venue until the water show ended at around 8pm, then return to the hotel area as soon as possible. While we were talking, the taxi driver suggested that if we came as a hire car at 8pm, he would wait for us closest to the exit. We immediately accepted his suggestion and changed our plans.

We were taken by taxi to the same Accessibility Center at the West Gate as yesterday, and was able to enter efficiently again. Immediately after entering, I decided to line up at the Italian Pavilion, which we were unable to enter yesterday. We waited for about an hour even in the priority line outside for a while, since the Italian president just arrived at the pavilion in front of us. 

Italian Pavilion

The pavilion is themed “Art regenerates Life,” and when you enter the building, which is modeled after the Colosseum, you will find sophisticated exhibits. You will be amazed by the breathtaking works of art, such as Caravaggio’s Entombment of Christ and Leonardo da Vinci’s drawing of the Atlantic Code. I had visited the Italian Pavilion in April, but it has become more and more popular since it is exhibiting more masterpieces such as Michelangelo’s sculpture “Resurrected Christ” and Venafro’s “Venus of Venice” in addition to the masterpieces of Caravaggio and Da Vinci that have been a hot topic since the opening.

I had visited the Italian Pavilion in April, but it has become more and more popular since it is exhibiting more masterpieces such as Michelangelo’s sculpture “Resurrected Christ” and Venafro’s “Venus of Venice” in addition to the masterpieces of Caravaggio and Da Vinci that have been a hot topic since the opening.

After that, I went to the French Pavilion, which I was unable to enter due to an accident the previous day, and was able to enter with almost no waiting by using the Fast pass that the staff of the American Pavilion had sent us the day before.

France Pavilion

The theme of the France Pavilion is a hymn to love. The symbolic red thread represents the connection between France and Japan, and the theme of love expresses “Loving yourself,” “Loving others,” and “Loving nature.” As a fashionable country, there are stylish exhibits of Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior, which represent France, as well as exhibits of 1,000-year-old olive trees, wine, and grapes, as an agricultural country.

Afterwards, we went to the Canada Pavilion, the guest’s home country. The guest could enter the pavilion using the priority wheelchair lane, and at various points, the guest enjoyed the pavilion’s exhibits while chatting with Canadian staff. In particular, when the images of Niagara Falls and the familiar cityscape of Toronto were shown, the guest seemed very happy as he explored the interior.

Canada Pavilion

The concept of the Canada Pavilion is “Regeneration”, when winter turns to spring. It is inspired by the thawing of frozen waterways at the onset of spring. Visitors enter the pavilion holding a special monitor, which they hold up to the glacier inside the building, and various videos are displayed on the monitor, making them feel like they are traveling around Canada.

When I asked the guest what they would like for lunch on the second day, they said they would like a place with convenient air conditioning where they could eat leisurely, even if it was a little expensive, so I introduced a relatively empty restaurant that featured Kobe beef sukiyaki bowls, although it was a little expensive, and we were able to have a relatively leisurely lunch.

Afterwards, we went to the Signature Pavilion, DYNAMIC EQUILIBRIUM OF LIFE, for which I had made a reservation in advance. When I checked at the entrance, I was told that although I had made a reservation for three people during the advance reservation process, the guest’s reservation had not been registered and there was only space for one person on my ticket. However, as the guest’s husband had come in a wheelchair, he was able to use the one-person slot while his wife accompanied him, so I let them both enter the pavilion and I decided to wait outside. It became clear that this reservation system for multiple people was complicated and difficult to operate.

DYNAMIC EQUILIBRIUM OF LIFE

This pavilion, with its dynamic equilibrium as its keyword, tries to hand over a philosophy to redefine life for a better society and the future of the Earth. There is actually no clear boundary between you and the environment. The atoms and molecules that makeup you are constantly being exchanged with the environment. The pavilion will deliver an experience that will shake your view of life to its very core and rediscover the meaning of life and hope.

After that, we tried to enter the Japan Pavilion, but I was told that visitors without reservations would have to make a waiting line after 19:00 to enter the pavilion. Visitors in wheelchairs could line up at the front of the waiting line if they came to the pavilion before 19:00, but since entering after 19:00 would mean we would not be able to see the spectacle of air and water show, we decided not to enter.

Also, as thunderclouds were approaching the venue, we moved around using the Great Ring as much as possible, and went around several small pavilions in several Commons buildings, waiting for the water show to start. Although visiting the pavilions in the Commons felt like sheltering from the rain and killing time, the wife of the guest was quite enthusiastic about collecting stamps in her stamp book, so I’m glad I bought a stamp book first.

We secured a spot on the west side so that we could immediately exit through the west gate after the water show, and were able to enjoy the show that had resumed after a long time. We headed to the gate immediately after the show ended, but I realized that it was quite difficult to push a wheelchair in a crowded place. However, the drone show started immediately after the light and water show, so while many people stopped to watch it, we headed straight to the gate, and were able to exit relatively smoothly. And the taxi driver who took us from the hotel to the Expo site in the morning was waiting for us at the most convenient hire car stand, so we were able to leave the site really quickly. I was really lucky to leave the venue at around 8:15 and get back to my hotel near Namba Station just after 8:30.

Although it was just a coincidence that a private taxi driver suggested it, we were able to get back to the hotel extremely smoothly, so my guests were delighted and as a guide, I was relieved. Many things happened during the two days of guiding, but what made me happiest was seeing my guests happy, and I feel like I was able to make at least a small contribution to the Expo in my hometown of Osaka.

This tour was organized through Tours by Locals.

Review from the guest posted to Tours by Locals

Excellent tour guide! Atsuhiro was sensitive to our needs and interests. He gave us insights into what makes being Japanese so unique. We had the advantage of his world wide knowledge and insights, having worked in Europe, SE Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. This made our trip to Expo 2025 even more interesting and rewarding. If I could, I would give him 7 stars!

Date: 10th July 2025

I guided a couple from Canada to the Osaka Kansai Expo on July 10th and 11th. They are the guests applied through the website of Tours by Locals, and since they booked in mid-June, we have been exchanging messages and preparing for about a month. First, the couple already had tickets for the two-day admission from the West Gate, so I started by confirming the reserved time and the location of the hotel, and reserving the shuttle bus, etc. Then, I was noticed the ID numbers on their tickets and applied for the advance lottery for three people. Since the 2-month advance lottery was already too late, I tried the 7-day advance lottery, but unfortunately all slots we tried unsuccessful.

Next, I secured two reservation slots for each of us through Available Slot Reservation, which starts at midnight three days before the entrance, on a first-come, first-served basis. I welcomed them in the hotel lobby, checked their QR code tickets, and headed to the shuttle bus stop they had reserved for the Expo site. Her husband had recently had heart surgery and would get tired if he walked long distances, so we decided to rent a wheelchair at the Accessibility Center before entering the venue. When we rent a wheelchair, we can enter the venue directly from the Accessibility Center using the priority lane, and we can also use the priority lane at many pavilion entrances and events within the pavilions, so we were able to get around quite efficiently.

After entering the venue, I asked them if they wanted to buy an official stamp book and do the stamp rally. The wife was very enthusiastic, so we immediately bought a stamp book and official goods at the official shop. We stamped the first page of the stamp book at the stamp stand near the West Gate and then started our walk. The location of the entrance stamp was difficult to find, but we could find easily by my experience as volunteers.

First, the daughter of the wife’s close friend, who works as a staff member at the USA Pavilion, met us in front of the Pavilion and we were able to enter with priority, despite the long line. She also sent us a Fast Pass for the French Pavilion next door and contacted the staff at the Korean Pavilion, which made it quite easy for us to get in.

USA Pavilion

The pavilion is themed “Imagine What We Can Create Together,” and introduces the history of the United States, especially advanced technologies such as space development, and displays Lunar samples. Please note that if you queue for the English explanation when entering, you will have a shorter wait time.

At the exit of the American Pavilion, they were chatting away about old times with a beautiful young staff member at the USA Pavilion who were acquaintance of them, when two kindergarten-aged girls approached us and asked me to sign their autograph books. They had come to the Expo looking forward to collecting autographs from people from all over the world, and they thought it would be easy to ask me because I was there as an interpreter. The young lady, of course, gladly accepted, and even asked the girls’ names and signed on. When the small girls handed the staff member a cherry blossom-shaped pin badge that they had brought as a thank you, she was so happy that she went inside the pavilion once and brought back a commemorative sticker, and they had a fun exchange of souvenirs. I fondly remembered the 1970 Osaka Expo, held when I was 10 years old, visiting the expo many times, visiting various pavilions, collecting stamps and autographs, and having various conversations with foreigners for the first time.

The guests were Canadian, but both were from the Philippines, so next we went to the Philippines Pavilion next to the US Pavilion. The husband uses a wheelchair, so we were able to enter smoothly from the priority lane. We also asked the staff in the pavilion to take the AI commemorative photo, which had been lined up inside the pavilion, so we were able to enjoy the attractions with priority.

Philippines Pavilion

The Philippine Pavilion, themed “Nature, Culture & Community — Woven Together for a Better Future,”
While introducing the diverse nature of regions of the Philippines, if you dance in front of the screen, you can see your alter ego as a flower or fish dancing in the video, or enjoy an AI-generated photo of you and fruit or other materials.

After that, we started to feel hungry, so we decided to have a light snack at a large food court near the Great Ring. I confirmed that there were no restrictions on the food for guests, but I still hadn’t fully understood our guests’ preferences, so I decided that this food court with its wide variety of dishes was the best place to have a light meal and entered. After looking at the wide variety of dishes, the guests decided to have gyoza and cold ramen at Osaka Osho. While eating, the guest’s wife saw a young girl nearby holding a food sample of a Wagyu hamburger and trying to attract customers, and told me that she wanted to take a commemorative photo with the young girl with food sample. When I told the young girl about this, not only the young girl but also the store manager kindly joined us, even though we had not purchased anything at this shop, and we were able to take a fun commemorative photo. The girl of the shop said that she wanted to study abroad in Canada, so she had a lively conversation with the guests. These kinds of various encounters and conversations are the best part of the Expo.

After that, we went to the Saudi Arabia Pavilion, which was recommended by a friend of the guest’s wife. The Saudi Arabian Pavilion also has a priority route for wheelchair visitors, but even on this priority route, we ended up waiting in the shadow of the building for about 30 minutes (it seems that the normal route takes more than an hour). The husband of the guest was in a wheelchair, and I asked the wife to sit on a folding chair that I had brought with me and wait for a while. To prevent the guests from getting heatstroke, I occasionally provided them with cold drinks, such as frozen mineral water that I had bought at a convenience store, to keep them hydrated.

Saudi Arabia Pavilion

Under the theme of “Together for a Better Future,” the Saudi Arabia Pavilion captures the Kingdom’s deep traditions, showcasing an ancient culture striving toward new possibilities for a shared future. It also introduces various initiatives toward the next international World Expo, Expo 2030 Saudi Arabia.

After the Saudi Arabian Pavilion, we went to the Korea Pavilion. A friend of the guest at the USA Pavilion had contacted the staff at the Korea Pavilion and was waiting for us in front of the pavilion, and she accompanied us throughout the pavilion. We then ate yangnyeom chicken and bibimbap at a Korean restaurant that the guest’s wife had been looking forward to. The food was authentic, and the portions were generous compared to the price, so we were able to enjoy it at a leisurely pace. Being able to enjoy authentic food at each country’s pavilion is one of the great things about the Expo.

Korean Pavilion

The main theme of the Korean Pavilion is “With Hearts: Connecting Hearts, Lives in Bloom”. Upon entering the pavilion, visitors can enjoy a hands-on experience, such as listening to music synthesized from their recorded voices, and blowing into the venue turns into hydrogen gas bubbles that rain down on the pavilion. In addition, you can enjoy hearty Korean cuisine at the restaurant in the museum.

After that, we went to the only one we had made a reservation for in advance, the joint exhibition hall of the Iida Group and Osaka Metropolitan University. Our reservation was for 5 o’clock, but at that time, thunderclouds were passing over the Expo site, so we couldn’t wait in line outside the pavilion, so we decided to wait for the thunderclouds to pass under the Great Ring right next to it. However, since the husband of our guest was in a wheelchair, he was able to enter first when the thunderclouds passed and admission resumed.

Joint Pavilion Iida Group × Osaka Metropolitan University

This is a joint exhibition pavilion by the Iida Group, an architectural firm, and Osaka Metropolitan University, a local public university in Osaka. The concept of the exterior design is “Sustainable Mobius”. The fusion of the future and tradition is made tangible by covering the entire surface with specially processed Nishijin brocade fabric. Inside the building, we will introduce “futuristic housing” and “community planning” for healthy and comfortable living with new technologies and new energy sources for a decarbonized society. This is a joint exhibition by a university that conducts research on new technologies such as artificial photosynthesis for the new era, and an architectural firm that aims to realize it.

After this, we tried to enter the French Pavilion with a fast pass, but it seems that there was a problem inside the pavilion due to a thunderstorm just before, and all admissions were suspended with no prospect of resuming, so I headed for the Italian Pavilion instead. The Italian Pavilion has a lane for wheelchair visitors, but even in that priority lane, we had to wait an hour, so we decided to enter the nearby Belgian Pavilion. We were able to enter the priority lane of the Belgian Pavilion immediately with almost no queue.

Belgian pavilion

Pavilion is located in the “Saving Lives” district, with the theme Human Regeneration. Where it began as an opportunity to showcase the current state of industrial and scientific progress, the focus is now increasingly on branding countries and impressing and entertaining visitors. It displays Belgium’s leading role in producing vaccines for pandemic diseases.

After that, we walked around some of the small pavilions in the Commons Pavilion, headed to the West Gate, watched a drone show near the gate, and then headed home. I should have booked the shuttle bus from the West Gate to Sakurajima Station at the venue before heading to the West Gate, but the operation on the shuttle bus reservation website was complicated, so I left the gate without making a reservation.

Anticipating the crowds of people leaving the gate after the drone show, we watched the show close to the gate, and returned the guest’s wheelchair at the Accessibility Center after leaving the wheelchair gate and efficiently picked up the shuttle bus stop, so we were able to get on the bus with almost no wait.

Today, I tried to register some pavilions by on-site registration several times from 10 minutes after entering, but it didn’t work. I was trying to find an available slot for three people, including two guests, through on-site registration, but it didn’t work well, and the operation was complicated, so I had to enter the guest’s ticket ID several times, which took time and didn’t work.

This tour was organized through Tours by Locals.

Review from the guest posted to Tours by Locals

I would give Atsuhiro 7 stars if I could. He had fantastic command of the language we are comfortable with: English. He was efficient and most knowledgeable. He gave us a concise history of Japan. He explained to us the culture of Japan and her different regions. He was caring and always made sure we were enjoying ourselves. He is tops!