Kansai Expo Free Hacks Vol.2 — Insider Secrets from a Gourmet Writer Who’s Been There 10+ Times
Tuna Carving Show & Tasting, Trip to Tokushima for Just 500 Yen!? Due to Popular Demand, the Second Round Is Here!
The Osaka–Kansai Expo has reached its halfway point before closing. Here, gourmet writer Shigeru Nekota, who lives in Osaka and has visited the site more than 10 times for coverage, shares some insider tips and special deals that only regular visitors know.
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The second half is “Japan is on fire!”
You want to know about Expo insider tips like pavilions where you can get freebies and free tastings, right? By the time the second half rolls around, plenty of info is already online, but it’s mostly stuff you’ve probably already heard.
So, having visited the Expo more than 10 times, I, Nekota, will share without holding back the things I’ve actually experienced myself, as well as the tidbits I secretly picked up from the insiders.
In the first article, the whole world was amazed at the generosity of the Peru Pavilion, but now that we’ve passed the halfway point, my impression is that Japan’s presence is really ramping up—asserting its role as the host nation more and more.
【ORA Dining Pavilion】If You Go to “UTAGE”, There’s Always Something Waiting
First up is “UTAGE”, run by the Osaka Food Service Industry Association. The first floor serves as a food court featuring restaurants from Osaka, while the second floor focuses on hands-on experiences and exhibits. One standout booth here is “Ōsaka Kizu na Ichiba”, operated by Osaka’s Kizu Market. Each week, producers from across Japan—particularly from areas engaged in disaster recovery, such as Sanriku, Iwaki, and Noto—come to host tasting events that feel like live kitchen shows.
On one day, visitors could taste dishes made with Kujo green onions from the Sanriku Kujo Negi Producers Association in Rikuzentakata City, Iwate Prefecture. The menu offered a luxurious comparison, letting participants sample the green onions with pork, chicken, and beef. Each session lasts about 30 minutes for 20–25 people, with 10–18 sessions held per day. Best of all, no reservation is needed, and the wait isn’t long!
By the way, the Osaka Kizu Market is a local wholesale market in Osaka’s Minami district, surprisingly run by the udon chain Gourmet Kineya. They hold weekly tasting events for various ingredients, so be sure to check the schedule on their website.
Near the West Gate, the EXPO Arena lets you enjoy a travel experience for free
The areas near the West Gate—the EXPO Arena and EXPO Messe—are also exciting. During “Osaka Week,” a total of 400 programs are held daily, and PR events by other prefectures are drawing lots of attention as well.
Coming up soon, on August 22–23, is Kochi Prefecture’s WORLD YOSAKOI DAY. Visitors can watch and dance yosakoi, join workshops using Tosa washi paper, and enjoy tastings of Tosa sake as well as samples and sales of local Kochi products.
At a booth recreating Kochi’s famous street markets, you can buy and sample local specialties from 34 cities and towns—definitely an exciting experience!
The Multipurpose Area next to the Kansai Pavilion is also full of great deals
Next to the Kansai Pavilion is the Multipurpose Area, where each prefecture in the Kansai region periodically showcases local products and traditional performing arts. Small towns that many visitors have never heard of also exhibit here, giving you the feeling of traveling across the region. Another highlight—quite often, you can sample local sake too (haha).
From August 19 to 25, Tottori Prefecture will hold “Tottori Fest Festival Fair,” with a giveaway of pears and Shiratama ice cream for the first 50 people at the opening ceremony on the 19th. In addition, there will be tastings and sales of local specialties, as well as samplings of Tottori’s sake, so be sure to stop by.
Kansai Pavilion – By the way, at each prefecture’s booth inside the pavilion, you can sometimes receive novelty items. One particularly surprising offer is from Tokushima Prefecture, which they constantly distribute an incredibly generous coupon that makes express buses or ferries from Kansai to Tokushima just 500-yen one way. Not 500 yen off—but 500-yen total. Even if you don’t have any plans, it makes you think, “Maybe I’ll just go!”
According to Expo experts, nothing beats the Osaka Healthcare Pavilion
According to an Expo expert who has visited all the pavilions with a full pass, “Nothing beats the Osaka Healthcare Pavilion!” (results may vary). Reservations are required, but participants in the Reborn Experience receive sample products such as cosmetics, haircare items, and supplements.
The items vary each time—sometimes shampoo, sometimes Bifidobacterium supplements, or mouthwash—but they’re generally quite generous.
◇ Even sushi made from tuna is sometimes served!?
And on September 6, an incredible event will take place in front of the Healthcare Pavilion: a tuna carving show and tuna sushi tasting! The event is organized by the Zakoba Morning Market Executive Committee of Osaka Central Wholesale Market. Like Kizu Market, Osaka Central Wholesale Market is one of the city’s major markets, and Zakoba Morning Market is held about four times a year for the general public.
Tuna will be prepared for 300 people in total, served twice at 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM. On that day, it’s best to stake out a spot at the Reborn Stage in front of the Healthcare Pavilion.
I want to try it! Glico’s “Rice Caramel”
The signature pavilion EARTH MART, produced by Kundo Koyama, also does not require reservations. Visitors to this pavilion will receive Ezaki Glico’s “Rice Caramel,” a next-generation caramel made from rice flour without any milk-derived ingredients. Only one piece will be given out, but you’ll definitely want to give it a try!
Plenty of food and drink samples at Okoshiyasu Kyo no Koji
Nekota’s favorite spot is “Okoshiyasu Kyo no Koji” on the 1st floor of Ringside Marketplace West. Operated by the Kyoto Products Exhibition Association, it’s a shop featuring Kyoto’s food and traditional crafts—but it’s not very crowded (lol). Here, you can sample and buy items like okaki, warabi mochi, and bean snacks, with friendly vendors cheerfully offering, “Go ahead and try some!”
They generously offer local sake with a “Try this one too!” attitude, so you might find yourself sipping while snacking on okaki like you’re at a standing bar— keep in mind that the samples are strictly for tasting, so please try them with the intention of considering a purchase.
Also, the bento and side dishes sold at the entrance by a Kyoto cuisine shop are incredibly reasonably priced. For more on that, refer to the previous article.
It’s not just the Peru Pavilion the other international pavilions aren’t backing down either!
So far, we’ve introduced the PR battles by Japanese municipalities and companies, but the international pavilions are definitely holding their own. In addition to Peru, Brazil, Tech World, and the EU mentioned in the previous article, new pavilions and booths offering free services are also attracting attention.
◇ Win something with the roulette! At the International Organizations Pavilion [ASEAN Pavilion]
At the ASEAN Pavilion, you can take on a roulette challenge through a stamp rally, with prizes like keychains, pin badges, and clear files up for grabs. For those wondering what ASEAN stands for, it’s the “Association of Southeast Asian Nations,” consisting of 10 member countries. The pavilion offers a dynamic VR experience showcasing the landscapes of each country. The Expo is really a great chance to recall what we learned in social studies class!
The Commons Pavilion still surprises with guerrilla-style tastings
Nekota’s favorite, the Commons Pavilion, continues its unpredictable coffee and chocolate tastings—they happen depending entirely on the staff’s mood. However, compared to the early days, more countries seem to be following suit and offering their own tasting services. At the Fiji booth in Commons B, you can even sample rum—though, again, it’s all depending on the staff’s mood.
Try the “Original Dassai” at the Austria Pavilion!?
Speaking of drinks, the Austria Pavilion is quite interesting. They’ve launched a sake called “Original Dassai,” which was fermented while playing music performed by members of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and the Japan Century Symphony Orchestra. They hold occasional tasting events for this sake, too.
The music played during fermentation was Johann Strauss II’s “Tales from the Vienna Woods” Waltz. Dassai is a highly polished junmai daiginjo sake, “Milling Ratio 23%.” The vibrations from the music reportedly influence the yeast in the tank, resulting in a smoother flavor. Definitely something worth trying!
Lastly, here’s a modest but charming highlight: the China Pavilion offers a cute bookmark with a QR code for an audio guide. It features illustrations of pandas and bamboo, which made me nostalgic for the pandas that were returned from Wakayama.
As a reminder, the steak and lamb tastings at the Australia Pavilion introduced in the first article will be held on August 20–21 and September 10–11—don’t miss out! Also, if you visit on a country’s “National Day Special Day,” you can usually get novelty goods from that country, so I recommend targeting the countries you’re interested in.
■ You can find the Event Information page on the official Osaka-Kansai Expo website here
All prices include tax. The information in this article is current at the time of the interview (early August).
Interview, text, and photos： Shigeru Nekota