We visited Expo 2025 (関西万博) in Osaka in April, about a week after it opened to the public. With around 100 food vendors on-site, there’s no shortage of options—but the early buzz wasn’t entirely positive. Many visitors complained about long lines during the first few days. In our experience, though, it really varied.
Enjoy a tune while browsing.
Some restaurants had long queues, especially the ones inside national pavilions, while others were easy to access. Some were just not easy to spot. For example, we were tempted by the United Arab Emirates sit-down restaurant, but the line looked endless and barely moved. This was also true for the German pavilion which serves beer. Suntory, the brewery opened an attractive and serene restaurant (Suikuu) specializing in farmed fish but it was somewhat hidden on the second floor of the Water Plaza building.
But we did manage to snack on aronchino al ragu di manzo japonese (rice croquette with Japanese beef) at the Italian pavilion and haemul pajeon (seafood pancake) and fried chicken at the Korean pavilion.
Click on any of the images to see a larger version.
At the edge of the Grand Ring, we found a variety of standalone eateries. We enjoyed snacks at another Korean spot. Snacking was the strategy as we tried to maximize utility of our time and stamina.
We explored a lively Japanese food court dedicated to Osaka’s beloved local specialties (more about this place on our next post).
Takayo Doutonburi Kukuru たこ家道頓堀くくる
We’ve had plenty of takoyaki before, but Kukuru’s version stood out as the best we’ve ever tried. Yes, the bonito flakes were waving as usual even though the takoyakis were drenched with mayo.
We found another food court serving general Japanese fast food. It was less crowded due to its location near the west entrance gate which has less foot traffic. Take note if you will be visiting Expo 2025. The same is true for the official souvenir store, but you may want to visit both (East and West entrances) anyway as they seem to carry different merchandises.
Interestingly, we didn’t see any international chains like McDonald’s or Starbucks. That might be intentional—these brands aren’t exactly known for eco-conscious innovation. We appreciated their absence; it helped preserve the Expo’s distinct atmosphere.
That said, all three of Japan’s major convenience stores (konbini)—7-Eleven, Lawson, and FamilyMart—had a presence. They offered inexpensive, microwaveable meals perfect for outdoor picnics and a great way to avoid long waits.
Some restaurants at the Expo also promoted health and sustainability, including serving sushi made with cultivated fish based on land-based farming method. Sushiro even offers plant-based sushi, pork- and lard-free ramen. We did not discover them until early evening on our last day.
The Kura Sushi outlet offers a conveyor-belt sushi experience with the longest belt (135-meter) within the chain, seating 338 customers.
Unfortunately, we didn’t get to try them—there was simply too much to explore! We got our priorities right.
We did eat at a restaurant which was focused on healthy fermented foods and had the shortest wait. Among other goods, they were promoting a wide variety of soya sauces with different tastes for various purposes.
At the time of our visit which was 2 weeks after opening, operations were already becoming smoother, with shorter waits and more efficient service. We expect the food experience at Expo 2025 to keep improving as the months go on. Go visit.
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