Hi there! I’m Aika, the person behind this blog.

The 2025 Osaka/Kansai World Expo closed in October 2025. Half a year has already passed since then. I still can’t fully believe that magical place is gone…

---

I went 29 times.

Do you think that’s a lot? Or not enough?

I think it’s not enough. I wanted to go more!

Especially near the closing date, the crowds were absolutely crazy. It was hard to get into many pavilions, and I kept thinking, “If only I had more time…” I finished with some real regrets.

I did manage to visit every single overseas pavilion — but restaurants, signature pavilions, places I wanted to go back to… there was still so much I missed.

The expo was truly a dream world.

---

How I Fell Into the Expo Rabbit Hole

Honestly, I never planned to go that many times. At first, I was vaguely curious about the expo, but I didn’t look into it properly. I kept thinking, “It’s probably crowded and confusing,” and just put it off.

The thing that finally pulled me in was one sentence from my mom.

“Want to go together?”

Without those words, I’m pretty sure I would have gone zero times. Mom, I’m so grateful you invited me.

My first visit was June 5th. I walked around thinking, “Hmm, it’s kind of crowded.”

Looking back now, after experiencing the insane crowds near closing — it was actually super empty that day. 😂

I heard April and May were even more relaxed. I really wished I’d done my research earlier.

If you’re planning to visit the Yokohama Flower Expo (GREEN×EXPO 2027), please — look it up early and just go! The more you visit, the more you’ll find things you want to see and eat. (I hope this blog helps with that!)

---

The Battle of Balancing Work and the Expo

My work schedule was brutally busy, so there were long stretches when I couldn’t go as much as I wanted. From August onward, I started forcing free time into my calendar and dedicating every free day I had to the expo. Even then — 29 visits total.

Like I said, I did complete all the overseas pavilions. But toward the end, it was basically a speedrun. I was rushing around thinking, “I need MORE TIME!”

I should have started going earlier. That’s all there is to it.

---

So, What Do I Love So Much About Expos?

In one sentence: the whole world is in one place, and that’s amazing.

I love traveling and I love trying food from other countries. For me, the expo was a dream come true. Just walking from pavilion to pavilion, I could “travel” to a dozen different countries in a single day.

The food? Honestly, it’s not cheap. 😅 A proper dinner for one person — starter, main, dessert, one drink — can easily run over ¥10,000 (about $65 USD). But the portions are big, everything is delicious, and more than anything, you’re paying for an experience you can’t get anywhere else. When I put it that way, it starts to feel totally worth it.

And think about it — if you actually flew to each of those countries, the airfare and hotel costs would be incomparably higher. Suddenly, expo prices seem almost reasonable!

After a while, your sense of “normal” prices gets completely warped, and everything outside the expo starts to feel cheap by comparison. 😂

How much did I spend in total? …I’ve never calculated it. I’m too scared to know.

---

About This Blog

Half a year after the expo ended, I wanted to preserve my memories and share them — so I started this blog.

But it’s not just about looking back.

There are people out there who are curious about the Yokohama Flower Expo or the Riyadh World Expo 2030 but don’t know where to start. I want this blog to be useful for them. I don’t want anyone to end up with the same regrets I had.

I’m absolutely going to the 2027 Yokohama Horticultural Expo and the 2030 Riyadh World Expo!

For Yokohama, I’m planning a trip around April 2027, and my mind is already there. I’m saving up money bit by bit to prepare for expo prices (very seriously). And honestly, I’d love to go more than just once in April — maybe two or three more trips after that. I live in Osaka, so I didn’t have to pay for accommodation at the Kansai Expo. This time, that’s a whole extra expense to factor in…

On this blog, I’ll be sharing memories from the Kansai Expo, information about the Yokohama and Riyadh expos, and eventually live posts from my visits.

Just like my mom’s invitation changed everything for me, I hope this blog can be the push that makes someone say: “Okay, I’ll go.”

Welcome to the expo rabbit hole. 🌍