How to Enjoy the Osaka-Kansai Expo for Free with No Wait — Insider Tips from an Osaka-Based Writer

Osaka-based gourmet writer’s recommended great value and delicious Expo 2025 Osaka info

Two months since opening, the Osaka-Kansai Expo is drawing huge crowds. Here, Osaka-based gourmet writer Shigeru Nekota shares exclusive insider tips on great deals and delicious finds that only regular visitors to the venue would know.

— What No One Told Me About the Real World Expo

Have you been to the Expo? You often hear negative comments like “Even with reservations, you still have to line up at pavilions,” “You can only manage about three spots a day,” and “The restaurants are crowded and expensive.” And it’s true — if you head in without any prior knowledge, you’ll have a tough time. I made that mistake too.

But as I kept going for work and coverage, I started finding surprising spots and services — “Wait, isn’t this a hidden gem?” “This is free?!” So here, I’ll share some of those real Expo insider deals no one told you about, like pavilions offering free samples or novelty giveaways. No reservations needed, stress-free, and totally free — let’s make the most of the Expo!

The hottest free tasting right now is at the EU Pavilion!

The EU Pavilion has been getting attention as surprisingly fun. While the robot that automatically creates Zen rock gardens is a highlight, there’s also a limited-time event running until September — a kitchen car set up in front of the pavilion offering tasting samples of collaboration menus combining ingredients from the 27 EU countries with Japanese ingredients!

The dates are quite specific — June 11–12, September 5–7, and 12–15 — but the menu items are all intriguing, like “Mini Pizza with Black Olives and Onions” and “Red Potato Salad.” Starting at 9:30 AM, they’re distributed in batches of 100 servings every hour, so be sure to check it out!

The most generous pavilion at the Expo: Peru Pavilion

It’s already been heavily featured in the media, so many of you probably know about it (laughs). It’s an incredibly generous pavilion where you can enjoy local dishes for free — and even have a drink.

At the entrance, dynamic 360° panoramic screens display footage of Machu Picchu, the Amazon, and more — it’s truly impressive. The pavilion also showcases ancient jewelry with mysterious designs and alpaca textiles, making you feel connected to a faraway culture on the other side of the world. No reservations required.

And what’s truly amazing is the Chef’s Kitchen Table! Inside the pavilion, four times a day throughout the Expo, they offer free tastings of Peruvian dishes and drinks. The schedule is as follows: 10:30 — Coffee or hot chocolate, 13:30 — Regional dish, 16:00 — Regional dish, 18:00 — Pisco (alcohol).

The dishes change daily, with 200 servings available per session. It’s bite-sized, but you also get to watch a live performance by a local chef finishing the dish at the open kitchen. “Peruvian cuisine really suits the Japanese palate. It’s colorful, but everything’s easy to enjoy,” they say.

On this day, it was Causa Limeña — mashed potatoes layered with tuna, chicken, avocado, and more. The lemon gave it a refreshingly bright tang. By the way, the grape brandy Pisco served at night is super strong — a perfect treat for those who love their drinks!

Free beef and lamb!? As expected from the meat-loving nation — the Australia Pavilion

A jaw-dropping pavilion where you can enjoy free beef and lamb dishes — the Australia Pavilion. With cooking demonstrations by “Lambassadors” and others, they offer unique monthly beef and lamb dishes.

On July 27–28, it’s Aussie Beef Steak with Rich HAKKO Plum Sauce; on August 20–21, Let’s Grill Steak at Home!; and on September 10–11, Osaka-style Lamb Yakisoba!

Each day, there are two sessions — at 11:30 AM and 5:30 PM.

Bar time surrounded by traditional textiles at the Chile Pavilion

The Chile Pavilion features an exhibition centered around macun, a traditional ethnic textile. No reservations are needed, and it’s usually not too crowded — perfect for taking a short break.

Chilean wine is known in Japan for being delicious yet affordable. Alongside an introduction to their wine-making industry, the pavilion offers free wine tastings every day from 6:00 PM. In addition to wine, you can sample spirits like gin and pisco too, with commentary from a professional sommelier.

Pay attention to the daily events at the Kansai Pavilion

Japan isn’t to be outdone either. While the Kansai Pavilion requires reservations, the outdoor Multipurpose Area next to it is open to everyone. Here, PR events by cities and towns from the Kansai region are held daily. The content varies by municipality, but you’ll often find local sake tastings and sales, as well as samples and sales of regional specialties.

They also frequently hand out novelty items from the cities and towns featured in the stage events. During my visit, they were giving away a set from Izumi City, Osaka — mandarin orange juice, a coaster, and a tenugui cloth.

In addition, at the “Food and Culture of the Future” zone in the Osaka Healthcare Pavilion next to the Kansai Pavilion, they were handing out free shochu mixed with tea. I took a sip thinking it was just regular tea — it turned out it was alcohol, and I couldn’t help but feel lucky!

Besides food, you can also receive traditional costumes and enjoy massages

The novelties you can get at “TECH WORLD” in Taiwan are a treat for that day.

“TECH WORLD” is a private pavilion, but it is practically a Taiwanese pavilion. No reservation is required, and you can enter in about 15 minutes if the pavilion is open. After enjoying the futuristic video contents, you will receive a novelty. The contents will change depending on the day and time, and can be a tote bag or a hand towel.

◇ At Taiwan’s TECH WORLD, the novelty giveaway changes daily

Although it’s a privately run pavilion, it effectively serves as the Taiwan Pavilion. No reservation needed — if it’s not crowded, you can enter in about 15 minutes. After enjoying futuristic visual content, you’ll receive a novelty gift. The item varies by day and time, such as a tote bag or hand towel, so it’s a surprise to look forward to.

◇ Get a costume at the Brazil Pavilion!

You might spot people leaving the Brazil Pavilion draped in colorful fabric. This is a traditional costume called Parangolé, arranged with a Japanese twist. Originally, 1,000 pieces were distributed daily, but since the planned stock was exceeded, distribution is now irregular.

◇ Receive an authentic Thai massage at the Thailand Pavilion

No reservation is needed for the Thailand Pavilion either. Visitors can experience a traditional Thai massage (about 15 minutes). While it’s limited to 120 people per day who have made advance reservations, those who spend over 5,500 yen at the Thailand Pavilion shop can also experience a massage demonstration (limited to 30 people per day).

The best bet is the no-reservation Commons Pavilion strike up a conversation with the staff.

What Nekota liked best was the Commons Pavilion. It’s a shared pavilion that basically requires no reservations and is open anytime, with pavilions A to F hosting 3 to 29 countries each. There are also many countries you might not know, like the Republic of Suriname, the Republic of Vanuatu, and Burkina Faso. It’s a great opportunity to catch a glimpse not only of history and culture, but also of the harsh realities of the world — poverty, war, and more.

Many booths at the Commons Pavilion also introduce their country’s food and drinks, but the hottest spots are in Pavilions A to C. Since countries from Africa to Central and South America — like Ethiopia, Côte d’Ivoire, and Jamaica — are gathered there, you’ll find plenty of coffee beans and chocolate.

According to exclusive interviews with staff at the Commons Pavilion, “There are quite a few booths where you can enjoy free tastings and samples. However, because of the different national characters, it can be unpredictable—sometimes the tastings are only available on days when staff who speak Japanese are working.” They also said, “If you become friendly, they might even give you bags or necklaces from the exhibits,” which is quite surprising. So, being able to communicate in English definitely pays off!

Based on the investigation inside the Commons building, the booths where you can generally have free samples or tastings are roughly as follows. But when you go, there might be something at other booths too.

・Uganda → Coffee
・Gabon → Chocolate, jam, etc. (depending on the staff)
・Côte d’Ivoire → Irregular coffee, occasional chocolate
・East Timor → Mainly coffee
・Guatemala → Coffee almost every day
・Yemen → Honey tasting (only for those with purchase intent. Super delicious)

What I thought about the expo is, “Foreign pavilions and booths are so relaxed and nice!” Unlike Japan, where strict rules and time schedules are set, here it’s more casual with things like whimsical or depends on the person,  even though it’s a public event like the expo.

Getting lots of free stuff is great, but an even bigger takeaway for me was realizing the importance of having a relaxed mindset like, “It doesn’t have to be so strict.” (Maybe I was just tired.)

Note: The tastings and events introduced in the article may have ended or their schedules may have changed.