Shiga at Osaka Expo 2025

Shiga Week at Kansai Pavilion, Osaka Expo 2025.
Shiga Week at Kansai Pavilion, Osaka Expo 2025 in late June 2025.

Osaka-Kansai Expo 2025 (大阪・関西万博) just reached its halfway point on July 13. It’s been three months since it opened on April 13, and now only three months to go when it ends on October 13, 2025.

If you’re in Shiga or in Kansai and still haven’t seen the Expo, don’t miss it! See it at least once just to see what the fuss is about. It’s a historic world event, to be talked about for decades to come. Shiga has a presence there too, in multiple ways and places as listed in this blog post. More to come from Shiga in the coming months at the expo.

If you live in Shiga and have any kids up to high school age, your child is eligible for free one-time admission. Just seeing and hearing the names of many different countries is educational for kids.

Osaka Expo 2025 is an official world exposition being held for six months in the city of Osaka in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. The expo site is on an artificial island in Osaka Bay named Yumeshima (夢洲) built with landfill (garbage).

Easy to get there by train/subway from Shin-Osaka or Osaka Station taking about 30 minutes to Yumeshima Station (Osaka Metro Chuo Line). From Shiga, it will take about 90 to 140 minutes depending on your nearest train station.

The last time a world exposition was held in Japan was 20 years ago at Expo 2005 in Aichi Prefecture. And the last time in Osaka was the beloved and grand Expo ’70 held 55 years ago. People still visit Expo ’70 Commemorative Park featuring the iconic Tower of the Sun sculpture by Okamoto Taro.

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Osaka Expo 2025 Overview

Myaku-Myaku

World expositions are a mass gathering and showcase of many countries, cultures, peoples, technologies, and ideas in line with the expo’s overall theme. On a site much larger than Universal Studios Japan, Expo 2025 has over 150 countries and regions with pavilions or booths along with over 20 Japanese pavilions.

The official name includes “Kansai” to also involve Osaka’s neighboring prefectures Shiga, Kyoto, Hyogo, Nara, Wakayama, Mie and even Tottori, Tokushima, and Fukui. Although these neighboring prefectures don’t have their own pavilions, they each (except Nara) have a booth in a shared building called Kansai Pavilion.

Although Expo 2025 pales in comparison with Expo ’70, it’s still a must-see especially for people in Kansai. Most Expo 2025 visitors actually come from Kansai, about 65 percent, and only 16 percent from Kanto Region (Tokyo) and 10.6 percent from Hokuriku Region, based on visitor counts up to June 20.

Kansai Pavilion – Shiga Week (滋賀魅力体験ウィーク)

Kansai Pavilion and the semi-open space on the right during Shiga Week.
Kansai Pavilion and the semi-open space on the right during Shiga Week.

While Osaka has its own Osaka Healthcare Pavilion, the Kansai Pavilion houses the other Kansai prefectures (Shiga, Kyoto, Hyogo, Nara, Wakayama, Mie, Tottori, Tokushima, and Fukui) with individual booths promoting themselves to attract more tourists.

Shiga’s main presence at Osaka Expo 2025 is the Shiga Booth inside the Kansai Pavilion. I haven’t been inside the Kansai Pavilion (too hard to make reservations), so I can’t describe the Shiga booth, but it focuses on Lake Biwa (“Mother Lake”) with the theme of “Sustainable Living with Lake Biwa” using mainly videos.

For some shortsighted reason, only Nara Prefecture does not have a booth inside Kansai Pavilion. The previous Nara prefectural governor decided against it. While faraway prefectures Tottori, Fukui, and Tokushima have have a booth, Nara, right next to Osaka, has no booth. Must be embarrassing for Nara people to be missing in the pavilion. To miss a major international PR opportunity like this that might come only once every 20 or 55 years.

The only problem with the Kansai Pavilion is that it requires reservations (after you obtain an Expo ID and buy your Expo ticket) which can be complicated to figure out and hard to come by even if you do figure it out.

Kansai Pavilion's semi-open space during Shiga Week
Kansai Pavilion’s semi-open space during Shiga Week in late June 2025 flanked by tobi-dashi boya sign on the left and a signboard with pop singer Nishikawa Takanori beckoning tourists.

Fortunately, Kansai Pavilion has an adjacent space which does not require reservations. It’s a semi-open air space right next to the pavilion on the right. It’s used for supplemental events such as hands-on activities, craft exhibits, etc.

During June 24th to 29th, the Shiga booth used this space for Shiga Week (滋賀魅力体験ウィーク) when various Shiga organizations exhibited their crafts and activities. I went to see it on June 28 (Sat).

All Kansai prefectures are holding their own PR event week at Kansai Pavilion (schedule here). No reservations required and anyone can drop in. There will be another Shiga Week at Kansai Pavilion during August 27 to September 1, 2025.

Complementing the Shiga Week venue at Kansai Pavilion were a map of Shiga and a tanuki raccoon dog statue from Shigaraki.

Kansai Pavilion's semi-open space displaying Shiga products
Kansai Pavilion’s semi-open space displaying Shiga products with a floor showing Lake Biwa. (多目的エリア)

Shiga Week had hands-on activities like making your own bath salts using herbs from Mt. Ibuki, making paper fans, and sutra copying guided by Enryakuji Temple. Hours were 10:00 am to 7:00 pm. I saw it for only 10 min. from 6:50 pm just before closing time, so it wasn’t that crowded.

The space had several exhibitors and they changed most every day of Shiga Week. When I visited, I found the following:

Omi Jofu clothing at Kansai Pavilion
Omi Jofu clothing at Kansai Pavilion for Shiga Week.

From Aisho Town were the Omi Jofu Traditional Kogei Center and the Aisho Town government. The Center showed Omi-jofu fabric (近江上布), and the town government showed bin-temari (glass ball with a threaded ball inside).

Omi-jofu is a high-quality fabric geared for cool summer wear. It’s certified as a Japanese traditional craft (one of three in Shiga, the other two being Shiragaki pottery and Hikone Buddhist altars). It’s woven with Omi hemp or ramie grown locally. There was a traditional loom for people to try weaving hemp cloth.

In Aisho, visit the Omi Jofu Dento Sangyo Kaikan (Omi Jofu Traditional Kogei Center 近江上布伝統産業会館) to see Omi hemp and ramie fabrics on display and for sale. Hands-on weaving lessons also offered (reserve by phone).

Aisho’s (or Echigawa’s) bin-temari threaded ball history goes back to around 1840 when its oldest bin-temari was made. This traditional art once died out in 1973 with the passing of Echigawa’s last bin-temari maker. Fortunately, the craft has been revived.

You might wonder how they fit the temari threaded ball into the round glass bottle. The threaded ball is actually hollow like a balloon. It is inserted into the bottle in a deflated state, then expanded into a ball.

To see more, visit the Bin-Temari no Yakata Museum (愛知川びん手まりの館) next to Echigawa Public Library.

Both the Omi Jofu Traditional Kogei Center (closed on weekends and national holidays) and Bin-Temari no Yakata Museum are near Ohmi Railways Echigawa Station. Free admission. Map

Biwako wo Matou booth
Biwako wo Matou booth during Shiga Week at Kansai Pavilion. (びわ湖をまとう)

Another Shiga Week booth was Biwako wo Matou which makes and sells accessories like pendants, earrings, and brooches. It displayed Lake Biwa-shaped accessories made of plastic bottle caps! The blue color comes from blue bottle caps.

Biwako wo Matou booth pendants
Biwako wo Matou accessories shaped like Lake Biwa. Each one has a unique design.

The plastic bottle caps are melted into a sheet (not mold) which the artist (named akiina あっきーな) then carefully cuts into Lake Biwa-shaped accessories. All unique color patterns. Made of upcycled materials. Upcycling is the process of reusing discarded waste items to make something of higher value. She also uses beach glass and pottery shards to make other accessories.

I was most surprised when she told me the prices. The small Lake Biwa brooch was ¥8,000 and the large one was ¥20,000! It certainly has higher value than the original, worthless waste materials.

She sells her accessories only at certain events and not even online. Based in Kusatsu, she has a website, but no online store: https://biwakowomatou.com

Shiga Week did quite well, attracting about 9,000 to 10,000 people every day. The next Shiga Week at Kansai Pavilion will be August 27 to September 1, 2025. Schedule here)

Jellyfish Pavilion (Signature pavilion)

Jellyfish Pavilion.
Jellyfish Pavilion. Go up the gentle slope to see orange-brown ceramic tiles (visible at the center in this photo).

Besides the Kansai Pavilion, other things and people from Shiga are making their mark at Osaka Expo 2025.

Be sure to check out the Jellyfish Pavilion (Kurage-kan クラゲ館) produced by pianist and educator Nakajima Sachiko. It’s one of the eight signature pavilions around Inochi Park near the expo’s waterfront. This pavilion focuses on creativity. Jellyfish Pavilion has Shigaraki ceramic tiles.

Jellyfish Pavilion is on a low hill. There are two areas. The hilltop area called Play Mountain is open to all, and no reservations are necessary. Very quick to enter this area. Only the area in the basement requires reservations.

Just walk up the gradual slope to the hilltop where kids can play and create around the Tree of Creation.

Shigaraki ceramic tiles at Jellyfish Pavilion.
Shigaraki ceramic tiles at Jellyfish Pavilion.

On the way up the hill, you’ll see ceramic tiles covered with falling water. This waterscape installation is called “Soil and Water Curtain” (土と水のカーテン) created with ceramic tiles presented and supplied by the Six Ancient Kilns (Rokkoyo 六古窯).

They are Echizen ware (Echizen, Fukui), Seto ware (Seto, Aichi), Tokoname ware (Tokoname, Aichi), Shigaraki ware (Koka, Shiga), Tamba ware (Tanba-Sasayama, Hyogo), and Bizen ware (Bizen, Okayama). They are considered to be Japan’s most prominent pottery producing areas since medieval times. These six kilns are in their own association (六古窯日本遺産活用協議会).

For this installation, the Jellyfish Pavilion has 3,205 tiles made by kids at Japan’s Six Ancient Kilns in five different prefectures. They used a wooden mold to shape the tiles using the clay of their respective area/kiln.

Some 726 of these tiles were made in Shigaraki. The fiery yellow-brown tiles are from Shigaraki, made by students at Shigaraki High School and Shigaraki Junior High School.

Shigaraki ceramic tiles at Jellyfish Pavilion.
Water flowing over Shigaraki’s fiery, bright yellow-brown ceramic tiles at Jellyfish Pavilion.

If you look closely, you might see the kiln’s markings on a few of the tiles.

A marvelous use and display of Shigaraki pottery. Pottery certainly evokes creativity and playfulness. (The pavilion doesn’t keep any real jellyfish nor aquarium.)

Photos of Shigaraki here…

Earth Mart (Signature pavilion)

Earth Mart (Signature pavilion)
Earth Mart’s thatched roof.

Another Signature pavilion, called Earth Mart, has a thatched roof made of thatch (reeds) from five locations in Japan: Hiruzen, Okayama; Yodogawa, Osaka; Aso, Kumamoto; Gotemba, Shizuoka; and Omi-Hachiman in Shiga. Reeds are another symbol of the cycle of life.

The reeds (thatch) from Omi-Hachiman were harvested in February 2024 from the Maruyama district (Lake Nishinoko 西の湖) by 110 people from 20 local companies, schools, and organizations in Omi-Hachiman. One of them was confection maker Taneya whose La Collina confection shop is adjacent to reed fields.

After harvesting, the reeds were dried before being transported to the expo site in November 2024 to build the Earth Mart’s roof.

Reeds from Shiga are called Goshu yoshi (江州ヨシ). They can grow quite high, maybe 4 meters or higher. They wilt during winter which is harvest season. They are traditionally used to make window blinds, indoor fixtures, and partitions. In spring, new reed seedlings sprout.

Maruyama is noted for suigo boat rides through the reeds near Lake Nishinoko. Reed fields are essential to purify the lake water naturally and to provide a protective habitat for baby birds and fish.

Produced by writer Koyama Kundo (小山薫堂) and designed by architect Kengo Kuma, Earth Mart’s main theme is food and life. The pavilion is acclaimed, but hard to get reservations to enter.

Future of Life (Signature pavilion)

Future of Life (Signature pavilion)

Another popular Signature pavilion is Future of Life (いのちの未来), produced by roboticist Ishiguro Hiroshi (石黒 浩) who is a native of Takashima, Shiga Prefecture. The pavilion features androids and humanoid robots and how they can be integrated into human society in the future. Ishiguro himself is well known in Japan for his own humanoid robot that looks like him.

This video explains more about him and the ideas behind the pavilion.

Future Life Village

Future Life Village Shigaraki stools and table
Table and stools made of recycled Shigaraki ceramic clay at Future Life Village near West Gate.

Another Shiga egg at the expo is this set of outdoor stools and table made of Shigaraki-yaki pottery at Future Life Village near the West Gate. The ceramics were mixed in with waste materials and created by the Association of Shigaraki Ceramic Companies (信楽陶器工業協同組合).

The clay was then used to make the stools and table by Marushi Seito Co. (丸滋製陶株式会社). Look at the stools closely for designs of Lake Biwa fish.

Future Life Village has several small buildings with stone walls. The theme keeps changing inside the buildings including Team Expo. Also known for providing limited-edition rubber stamps.

Note that the expo has many pavilion names with the word “future.” It can be confusing and hard to remember. The above Future of Life and Future Life Village are examples.

Zannen-ishi Toilet (Traces of Earth)

Zannen-ishi Toilet

Expo 2025 has many unique designer toilets. This unique toilet features huge stones originally quarried to build Osaka Castle, but for one reason or another, were not selected for the castle. They were abandoned and nicknamed Zannen-ishi (残念石) or Rejected Stones.

This toilet was designed by a young architect from Omi-Hachiman named Ohno Hiroshi (大野宏). He used to build structures in poverty areas in developing countries. Now he likes to use natural materials in his structures including bamboo and thatch (reeds). Very innovative looking buildings.

Shining Hat – Shiga Day (July 24)

Shining Hat (シャインハット)
Shining Hat (シャインハット)

The next big day for Shiga at Osaka Expo 2025 will be July 24, 2025. It will be Shiga Day (滋賀県デイ) with a day-long program at Shining Hat (シャインハット), an indoor event hall with a capacity of 1,900.

Shiga Day program will be split into Part 1 and Part 2. Reservations are not required, but it’s first-come, first-served for Part 1 starting at 11:00 am.

For Part 2, 500 timed-entry tickets (seiriken) will be distributed that day from 9:15 am in front of Shining Hat’s Information counter, and another 500 tickets from 11:00 am.

Part 1 – 11:00 am–1:45 pm (Doors open at 10:00 am.)
First-come, first served. So stand in line before 10:00 am.
Program will include stage entertainment by Shiga performers and a talk show. The design motif will be based on the Uminoko Floating School. Hiko-nyan and Myaku-Myaku mascots will also appear. Enryakuji Temple’s eternal flame in a brass lantern will be displayed from noon. If they allow you to take pictures of the lantern, it will be an extra treat since they don’t allow photos inside the Konpon Chudo Hall at Enryakuji. At 12:30 pm, Sanyare dance (UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage) from Kusatsu will be performed.

Part 2 – 4:00 pm–7:00 pm (Doors open at 3:00 pm.)
Program includes Hiko-nyan and Myaku-Myaku mascots. Talk show with pop singer Nishikawa Takanori and Paralympic swimming gold medalist Kimura Keiichi. Music and dance by Shiga performers young and old, including Goshu Ondo. The climax will be a live performance by Nishikawa Takanori from 6:30 pm. He has a large fan base, so expect a long line for timed-entry tickets.
More info: https://www.oricon.co.jp/news/2391255/full/

Japan Annual International Art Festival (日本国際芸術祭) at Wasse North (July 2 to 6, 2025)

Expo Exhibition Hall WASSE

Wasse is a large exhibition/event hall right outside the Grand Ring toward the West Gate. The building is usually partitioned into the North and South halls. If you have time, check it out. There’s always something going on inside. It’s also a great place to cool off from the summer heat or shelter from sudden rain.

Japan Annual International Art Festival sign
Japan Annual International Art Festival signboard.

In conjunction with Japan National Day on July 3, Wasse held a large Japanese art exhibition called Japan Annual International Art Festival (日本国際芸術祭) during July 2nd to 6th, 2025.

Some 54 Japanese organizations and groups displayed their artwork and crafts. They included universities, artist groups, famous Buddhist temples, galleries, local governments, and companies. Art from Shiga was also exhibited.

Japan Annual International Art Festival inside Wasse.
Japan Annual International Art Festival‘s section featuring Buddhist art from famous temples in Kyoto and Shiga.

Japan Annual International Art Festival – Enryakuji Temple booth

Enryakuji Temple’s booth with a large photo of the altar of Konpon Chudo main hall and a small replica of a lantern.

Enryakuji Temple (延暦寺) had a booth showing a small replica of one of the three brass lanterns inside the Konpon Chudo main worship hall (根本中堂). These lanterns contain eternal candle flames (Fumetsu no hoto 不滅の法灯) which were lit by Priest Saicho himself. Named the “Inextinguishable Dharma Lamp,” the flames have been burning continuously for over 1,200 years. (The replica has no flame.)

Behind the lantern was a large photo of Konpon Chudo‘s main altar.

Kaeru-mata (蟇股) replica.

Small replica of one of the decorative woodcarvings called “kaeru-mata” (蟇股) which was relacquered in brilliant colors. They depict Oriental Zodiac animals and fantasy beasts.

Enryakuji’s booth also had panel displays explaining Konpon Chudo main worship hall’s massive renovations ongoing since 2016. Read more about the renovations here…

Enryakuji booth also offered sutra copying.

Japan Annual International Art Festival – Japanese-American-Chinese Joint Expo Art Exhibition (日米中ア-ティスト共創EXPO展)

Japanese-American-Chinese Joint Expo Art Exhibition (日米中ア-ティスト共創EXPO展) in WASSE.

One of the many other booths at Japan Annual International Art Festival in WASSE was this art exhibition by an international group of artists from Japan, America, and China. There was pottery, fabric, and paintings.

Lake Biwa parabolic paintings by Brian Williams (not for sale).

While peering into this booth, I immediately recognized one of the painters, Brian Williams and his unmistakable parabolic paintings of Lake Biwa (views from Mt. Hiei it seems). Beautiful. Wish there were more Shiga artists at the expo.

Official stores – Shiga merch

Biwa pearls sold by Osaka Expo 2025 official store.

Osaka Expo 2025 has official stores near the East and West Gates operated by stores like Kintetsu, Daimaru, Maruzen, and Junkodo. Besides official Expo 2025 merch, they also stock products from Kansai prefectures.

In April, I found some products from Shiga as shown in these photos. There wasn’t much, but the store clerk showed me some Biwa pearls, some Shiga food, and souvenirs like socks and stickers. Note that these items may or may not be in stock anymore when you go there.

Official stores in the expo site are forever crowded with long lines just to get in.

Supplemental: Tower of the Sun (Expo ’70 Park)

At Expo ’70, the famous Tower of the Sun has a black sun face on the back. It was made with Shigaraki ware.

If you have time, I highly recommend also visiting Expo’70 Commemorative Park in Suita, an Osaka suburb. The park has the famous Tower of the Sun sculpture with three faces of the sun. It was the iconic symbol of Expo ’70 by mad genius artist Okamoto Taro.

On the top is a golden face representing the future. During Expo ’70 in the evenings, this face’s eyes emitted a blue beam across the expo site. Simply awesome.

The second face is on the tower’s front midsection, a sculptured, mashed face representing the present. This face is accented with red lightning bolts on both sides.

The third face is painted on the back of the Tower (right photo), representing the past as it looks back. This black sun face is painted on Shigaraki ceramic tiles. (See closeup photo.) Shigaraki ceramics have been a fixture at Osaka’s Expo ’70, Expo ’90, and the current Osaka Expo 2025.

Tower of the Sun's black sun face painted on Shigaraki ceramic tiles.
 Closeup of Tower of the Sun’s black sun face painted on Shigaraki ceramic tiles.

This magnificent edifice was originally intended to be temporary and was scheduled to be demolished after the expo. Fortunately, a successful petition to preserve it led to a decision in 1975 to preserve it permanently. It has since become another iconic symbol of Osaka and the most visible symbol and legacy of Expo ’70.

Osaka Expo 2025 Basic Info

Expo 2025 sign

Also see:

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