The Japan World Expo 2025 (Osaka-Kansai Expo 2025) will bring together 150 countries and 25 international organizations, businesses, NGOs, NPOs, and civic groups to tackle a variety of global issues over a period of 184 days, between April 13 and October 13, 2025.

Booths will be set up for each company, country, and theme, all aiming to promote economic development and address social issues. The theme of the expo is “Next Generation Entertainment,” and will feature exhibits and events about advanced technology, science, environmental issues, and cultural exchange, as well as music, performing arts, and anime. This must-see experience marks Japan’s first time hosting the event in 20 years!

Grand Green Osaka, a large-scale redevelopment project in Umeda, was founded on the concept of blending greenery with innovation. The grand opening of the South Building is scheduled for March 21, 2025, following the partial September 2024 opening of the North Building, South Park, and part of North Park. The entire area is expected to be fully opened to the public by FY2027.

Amongst the 55 stores set to open in the building are Time Out Market, a spacious market offering delicious Osaka cuisine; Grand Chef’s Valley, a collection of hidden gems of top-tier dining; CFCL, the brand’s first street-level fashion flagship; and SUSGallery, the high-end titanium wares brand’s first Kansai location.

Umekita Park, one of the world’s largest urban parks directly connected to a major terminal station, is also gaining traction as a new hanami hotspot with its 110 cherry blossom trees. On the same day, we’ll also see the opening of Hotel Hankyu Gran Respire Osaka, along with a daycare center and clinic, making it a space where visitors can enjoy both daily life and leisure.

Coinciding with the grand opening of Grand Green Osaka is Umekita Onsen Ren Wellbeing Park, one of the largest wellness facilities in the Kansai region, set to open on the 3rd and 4th floors of the Shops & Restaurants South Building.

This wellness hub features five key themes—bathing, exercise, diet, meditation, and beauty— and offers natural hot springs, a high-concentration carbonated spring, a state-of-the-art fitness gym, yoga and exercise studio programs, bedrock and lava rock baths, an outdoor infinity pool, and a relaxation salon. The dining area and lounge will also offer menus inspired by nutritional therapy.

Other services include health measurement devices to assess physical condition, and certified health and fitness instructors, physical therapists, and nutritionists who offer personalized guidance on food and using the baths. With a comprehensive approach to beauty and wellness, this destination is well worth a visit, especially for those visiting from afar!

Originally established in 1661 as the Naka-no-Shibai Playhouse, the Nakaza Kuidaore Building has been the site of countless plays and Kabuki performances as one of the Five Theaters of Dotonbori. During a 2009 redevelopment, it adopted its name from the famous Kuidaore restaurant. This was also when Osaka’s beloved mascot, Kuidaore Taro, was relocated here, further solidifying its role as a landmark in the Dotonbori district.

Now, the Nakaza Kuidaore Building is set to reopen in spring 2025 after a full-scale renovation, with six above-ground floors and one below. This renewed facility will feature an even greater variety of restaurants and bars, making it a new food and entertainment complex with more spots for visitors to experience history, culture, and Osaka-exclusive entertainment and community spaces.

The 6-meter-tall Kuidaore Taro statue is without a doubt an iconic Dotombori symbol! As Osaka continues to attract visitors from all over the world, this spot will surely continue to flourish as a must-visit destination, offering a new taste of entertainment and culture.

Umeda Loft opened 34 years ago as the popular lifestyle chain Loft's second nationwide location, following its flagship Shibuya store. Due to the expiration of its building contract, this location will close on April 30, 2025. However, it will relocate to the Hankyu Hanshin Umeda Main Store on the 6th floor and reopen on May 21.

The new location will be more compact, consolidated into a single floor, making it easier to navigate and shop. Regardless of location change, Umeda Loft will surely remain a hub for trends and evolving consumer needs, offering the same familiar household and lifestyle goods that customers know and love.

The Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts opened in 1936 as Japan’s third public art museum. The building itself is a registered tangible cultural property, and the museum houses over 8,400 works of Japanese and East Asian art, including over 5,000 national treasures and important cultural properties on deposit, making it one of Japan’s top museums. After closing for major renovations for nearly three years, it is finally set to reopen in March 2025.

This large-scale renovation has preserved the historic exterior of the tangible cultural property, while enhancing the exhibition spaces and storage facilities. A new entrance, accessible from the free zone and the park’s ground level, has also been added for a more welcoming and accessible for visitors today.

The newly designed layout ensures a smoother visitor flow and barrier-free accessibility, making it easier for everyone to enjoy. Other new attractions include a free-to-enter terrace overlooking Keitakuen, a modern Japanese garden, and a cafe and museum shop. More than just a place to appreciate art, the renovated museum will be an inviting, easy-to-explore space, and a cultural hotspot that visitors can enjoy more than ever before.

Following extensive renovations, a new commercial area will open in March 2025 at Terminal 1 (T1) of Kansai International Airport, the gateway to the Kansai region.

A total of 13 new shops, including retail stores, restaurants, and duty-free shops, will open across three areas: the 4th-floor International Departure Area, 3rd-floor International Arrival Area, and 2nd-floor Food Court Tasty Street. Some of these stores have already reopened in December 2024. The purpose of this renovation is to make the airport more convenient while enhancing its services and overall experience in preparation for the Osaka-Kansai Expo.

Fukujuen Yamashirokan, set to open on March 21, 2025, is a tea theme park established by Fukujuen, one of Kyoto’s most historic tea houses. Located in Yamashiro, southern Kyoto Prefecture, the birthplace of Fukujuen and a renowned Uji tea-producing region, this facility will bring visitors closer to the roots of Japan’s tea culture and the area’s rich tea history.

Spanning 20,000 square meters next to Fukujuen’s main factory, this expansive space will feature attractions such as the Iyemon Tea Garden, where tea trees are cultivated, and Tea Wholesaler Street, a recreation of a traditional tea warehouse. It will also include an archive, an exhibition hall for tea processing machinery, hands-on workshops, and a tea ceremony room, making it a comprehensive cultural experience.

Visitors can also look forward to tea-picking, tea-infused cuisine, and a variety of other fun actives exclusive to this tea manufacturing company, setting it up to become a major center for tea culture.

The Tottei area features the new Glion Arena Kobe, a spacious venue that can accommodate up to 10,000 people, with Tottei Park taking shape at the tip of the jetty. Both are set to open in April 2025, with dining facilities following thereafter.

Designed as an open-air theater, the park features a hill-shaped structure that doubles as seating for events. The rooftop offers a scenic viewing deck with panoramic views of the sea and mountains, while the space beneath includes a dining area and an indoor event space. This innovative architectural design is truly one-of-a-kind and not to be missed!

Located near Kobe’s major attractions, Meriken Park and Harborland, Tottei Park offers incredible panoramic views of Mt. Rokko and the oceanfront. Visitors can enjoy a BBQ restaurant with meals served in the sea breeze, and a brewery producing original craft beer. This park truly encapsulates the best of Kobe’s nature, cityscape, entertainment, and food, all in one place, making it another spot you won’t want to overlook!

Information in article current as of February 2025. Please see official websites for the latest updates and information.