New York – August 13, 2024: Starting in April 2025, Expo 2025 will invite the world to Osaka, Japan to explore the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations, focusing on prominent issues such as combatting world hunger and climate change, as well as the need for global connection. From April 13 through October 13, 2025, this “People's Living Lab” will allow participants to experience breakthrough technologies, innovate with new ideas, and absorb the wealth of Japan’s culture. Expo 2025 comes 55 years after Japan was home to its first world exposition: Expo Osaka 1970.
Dedicated to the theme of "Designing Future Society for Our Lives," Expo 2025 Osaka will explore three major topics (“Saving Lives,” “Empowering Lives” and “Connecting Lives”), which are encapsulated in the following travel experiences throughout lesser-known corners of Japan below:
Saving Lives: Togenkyo-Iya Mountain Village
Known as one of Japan’s “Three Most Secluded Areas,” Iya in Tokushima Prefecture is a hidden gem with striking mountain scenery. A highlight of the region is the remote village of Ochiai, where travelers can stay in classic thatched-roof houses while exploring ancient stone walls and paths from the 1600s. Alongside the 2025 Expo, Iya showcases the importance of environmental conservation and the preservation of traditional customs.
Empowering Lives: Ama Hut Experience
The town of Osatsucho in Mie Prefecture is home to the highest number of active female divers in Japan, known as ama. Before and after their dives, the ama rest in special huts, where visitors can engage in one-on-one conversations with the divers themselves, while enjoying the area’s freshly grilled seafood. The experience focuses on sustainable fishing practices, as well as empowering the local community.
Connecting Lives: Arita Ware
In Saga Prefecture, the town of Arita hosts Arita Ware Treasure Hunt Tours, an immersive experience that spotlights the unique techniques and skilled practitioners of Arita pottery through a special treasure hunt for deadstock ceramics, which guests can then take home. The 400-year-old practice connects the past to the present, facilitating global exchange and communication.
Super Early Bird Tickets for Osaka's Expo 2025 are now available for purchase online until October 6, 2024: https://www.expo2025.or.jp/en/tickets-index/price/.
Any type of tickets - one-day, weekday, night, group and advanced tickets - can be purchased at the official online store, select travel agencies and more. For more information about tickets to Osaka’s Expo 2025, visit https://www.expo2025.or.jp/en/tickets-index/.
ABOUT JAPAN NATIONAL TOURISM ORGANIZATION (JNTO)
As the official tourism board, JNTO seeks to inspire international travelers to visit Japan. Focusing on sustainability, diversity and preservation of its history and culture, JNTO encourages travelers to explore the country while supporting local businesses, learning about indigenous cultures, and helping conserve its natural sites.
For more information about travel to Japan, visit https://www.japan.travel/en/us or the JNTO pages on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube. To contact the New York office of the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) directly, please e-mail us_media@jnto.go.jp.
ABOUT U.S.-JAPAN TOURISM YEAR
2024 will mark the first time both the United States and Japan have developed this kind of union, which seeks to promote increased travel, mutual tourism, and cultural exchanges between the two countries. The Tourism Year agreement is a project of Japan National Tourism Organization(JNTO), the Japan Tourism Agency (JTA) and the Japan Association of Travel Agents (JATA), in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Travel and Tourism Office and U.S. Commercial Service, the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo and Brand USA. For more information, visit https://www.japan.travel/en/us/us-japan-tourism-year-2024/.
