The Czech Republic is ready for EXPO 2025 in Osaka – and for new visitors from Japan. In the newly opened pavilion, modern architecture meets culture and hospitality. Accompanying this, a new website specifically promotes travel to Prague.
The World Exposition (Exposition Universelle) takes place every five years, and this year, Osaka in Japan is hosting the global event. Today, Sunday 13 April, it opens its doors to visitors and will welcome them until mid-October.
Dozens of national pavilions will be surrounded by the Grand Ring – a structure that has been included in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest wooden architectural structure in the world. The Czech pavilion at EXPO 2025 Osaka in Japan offers guests not only exhibitions and space for business activities but also traditional Czech culinary delights.
Czech Pavilion EXPO 2025 Osaka
All major components of the pavilion – including the CLT (Cross-Laminated Timber) spruce panels and the glass façade – were manufactured in the Czech Republic. A total of six Czech subcontractors were involved in the construction: A2Timber, Stora Enso, and Novatop System for the timber construction, and Wieden, Kolektiv Atelier, and AGC Teplice for the glass façade. The prefabricated elements were transported in 69 containers from the Czech Republic to the Port of Hamburg – the largest port in Germany. From there, they embarked on an 8- to 10-week sea voyage to Osaka, where they were gradually assembled on the island of Yumeshima.
Dumplings and Pilsner Urquell at the centre of the culinary offering in the Czech pavilion
The restaurant in the Czech pavilion at EXPO 2025 has the ambitious goal of becoming the largest Czech restaurant in the world. At full capacity, the operators plan to serve up to 2,000 meals and 5,000 beers a day. Dumplings, accompanied by freshly tapped Pilsner Urquell (Plzeňský Prazdroj), take centre stage on the culinary menu.
In addition to Czech culinary delights, the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Cirk La Putyka, and the Pilsen Theatre Alfa will also be performing during the exhibition in Osaka. One of the highlights of the Czech programme will be the Czech Day at the Expo on 24 July – a date that commemorates the birthday of the painter Alfons Mucha, who is highly regarded in Japan.
Prague hopes for a further increase in tourists from the Far East
Last year alone, 53,000 Japanese tourists visited the Czech capital – an increase of 29% compared to the previous year. To mark the start of EXPO 2025, Prague City Tourism has launched a new Japanese-language website: prague.eu/japan. This is aimed specifically at potential travellers from Japan and is tailored to their cultural interests and expectations.
The site contains specially prepared stories compiled by Japanologist Petr Holý. It is supplemented by a selection of special places in Prague, as well as tips for your stay – including guided walks in Japanese. Visitors to the website can be inspired by stories about Věra Čáslavská, Alfons Mucha, or the secret of the Prague Golem, among others.
Asian travellers, especially from Japan, often choose their destination based on recommendations from friends or relatives – in contrast to European guests, who mainly do their research online. While Europeans are looking for entertainment as well as gastronomy, Asian guests travel to Prague primarily for the sights and good food.
Expo 2025 Osaka will take place from 13 April to 13 October 2025 in Osaka, Japan. The Japanese organisers are expecting a total of 150,000 to 300,000 visitors per day at the World Exposition. Between 12,000 and 15,000 visitors are expected to visit the Czech pavilion every day.
Expo 2025 Osaka | Czech Republic
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