Expo 2025 Osaka Pavilions Review — Visit 5: Taiwan’s Secret Pavilion, Miffy & Turkmenistan at Night

Visited: May 18, 2025 | East Gate Entry | Arrival: 11:30 | Daily Visitors: 101,000

Looking for the most unique Expo 2025 Osaka pavilions you’ve never heard of? Visit 5 delivered exactly that — including a secret pavilion hiding in plain sight, a Miffy-themed journey through the Netherlands, and one of the most dazzling night experiences at the entire Expo.

What Is Expo 2025 Osaka?

Expo 2025 Osaka, officially known as the 2025 World Exposition, was held on Yumeshima Island in Osaka Bay from April 13 to October 13, 2025. With the theme “Designing Future Society for Our Lives,” it welcomed pavilions from over 160 countries and organizations — making it one of the largest World Expos in history.

In this post, I uncover some of the most surprising and talked-about Expo 2025 Osaka pavilions — from a self-driving bus to a wristband that reads your heartbeat.

My Goal: Review Every Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka

Over the course of multiple visits to Expo 2025 Osaka, I set myself a challenge — to visit and review every pavilion on the grounds. With over 160 countries and organizations represented, it was no small feat. But armed with a season pass and a genuine curiosity for what each country had to offer, I made it my mission.

This is Visit 5 (May 18). Catch up on the series here:
👉 Visit 1 — First Night as a Skeptic
👉 Visit 2 — 15 Countries in One Day
👉 Visit 3 — The UN, 25 Nations & a Calligraphy Show
👉 Visit 4 — Luxembourg, Tunisia & a Whisky Highball

A Note on Crowds — 101,000 Visitors Today

With 101,000 visitors on the grounds, May 18 was another busy day at Expo 2025 Osaka. Arriving at 11:30 through the East Gate — greeted as always by the iconic Myaku-Myaku statue — I had a full afternoon and evening ahead. Today’s itinerary mixed technology, culture, and some genuinely unexpected discoveries.

💡 Tip: On days exceeding 100,000 visitors, plan your high-priority pavilions for mid-morning and save the outdoor attractions and smaller exhibits for peak afternoon hours when indoor queues are longest.

Self-Driving Bus 🚌 — The Future of Transport, Live on the Expo Floor

Before heading to any pavilion, I made a detour to photograph one of the most quietly futuristic things to do at Expo 2025 Osaka — the autonomous bus operating within the venue grounds. Cameras mounted at every corner of the vehicle, a hands-free turning maneuver observed in real time — this was not a concept. It was a working prototype, operating in public, today.

A driver was present for safety, but watching the bus navigate the Expo grounds with minimal human input was a genuinely exciting preview of where urban transport is heading.

💡 Tip: The autonomous bus route runs through the main Expo grounds — check the schedule and position yourself along the route for the best photography opportunity.

Commons — Guinea, Sudan, Madagascar & Cuba 🌍

A quick stop at the Commons area introduced me to four more nations — each bringing something distinct to the shared space:

🇬🇳 Guinea  |  🇸🇩 Sudan  |  🇲🇬 Madagascar  |  🇨🇺 Cuba

The Commons pavilions continue to be some of the most underrated Expo 2025 Osaka pavilions — compact, genuine, and refreshingly free of the long queues that plague the headline exhibits.

💡 Tip: The Commons areas are perfect for filling gaps between larger pavilion visits — low wait times and consistently surprising cultural encounters.

Netherlands 🇳🇱 — Miffy, Glowing Orbs and a City Built on Water

The Netherlands pavilion was one of the most charming and immediately lovable Expo 2025 Osaka pavilions of the entire series. Miffy — the iconic Dutch rabbit character beloved across generations — was woven throughout the experience, giving the whole pavilion a warmth that was impossible to resist.

Each visitor received a glowing orb to carry through the pavilion — a physical representation of energy that tied into the interactive exhibits along the way. The concept of charging and sharing energy felt genuinely innovative rather than gimmicky.

True to the Netherlands’ identity as a nation that has long lived alongside — and mastered — water, a display featuring what appeared to be an autonomous boat navigating a model waterway captured the country’s engineering spirit perfectly.

💡 Tip: The Netherlands pavilion is one of the most family-friendly best pavilions at Expo 2025 Osaka — the Miffy theme and glowing orb experience are a guaranteed hit with younger visitors.

Nordic Circle 🇸🇪🇳🇴🇫🇮🇩🇰🇮🇸 — Five Nations, One Circular Vision

The Nordic Circle brought together five Scandinavian nations under a single shared vision: the transition to a circular economy. The theme — sustainability, responsible consumption, and regenerative systems — felt timely and urgent.

The interior design matched the message beautifully. Distinctive textile panels arranged in a circular formation depicted agriculture, economics, industry and nature — each woven with the kind of craftsmanship you’d expect from the world’s most design-conscious region. Understated, intelligent, and genuinely thought-provoking.

💡 Tip: The Nordic Circle rewards slow visitors — take time to read each textile panel carefully. The detail in the storytelling is remarkable.

Flying Car & Outdoor Moments ✈️

Between pavilions, Visit 5 offered some of the best outdoor moments of the series. A flying car on display drew a crowd of fascinated onlookers — a technology that feels simultaneously far-fetched and imminent. I also managed to frame what might be my favorite photograph of the entire Expo: Myaku-Myaku and the Gundam statue sharing the same shot — two icons of very different Japans, side by side.

The Australia pavilion’s outdoor stage was also in full swing, with a live artist performance drawing a spontaneous audience. These between-pavilion moments are, again and again, what make Expo 2025 Osaka worth visiting.

💡 Tip: Don’t rush between pavilions — some of the best Expo 2025 Osaka moments happen in the open spaces between them.

Tech World (Taiwan) 🇹🇼 — The Most Clever Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka

Here is the story behind one of the most talked-about Expo 2025 Osaka pavilions: Taiwan was unable to participate under its own name due to political constraints. So it registered instead as Tech World — abbreviated, of course, as TW. For anyone familiar with international country codes, that abbreviation is immediately recognizable. A quiet, brilliant statement.

The experience inside matched the ingenuity of its naming. Upon entry, each visitor received a wristband device — worn throughout the pavilion to track biometric responses including heart rate. The opening exhibit: a living tree constructed from hundreds of tablets, each playing synchronized video and music, its leaves animated by visitor touch. Extraordinary.

The central theme — “Connecting the World, Creating a Better Future” — was brought to life through Taiwan’s identity as the world’s most critical semiconductor manufacturing hub. The message was clear: the chips that power every device you own likely passed through Taiwan.

At the exit, the wristband was scanned to reveal which exhibits had triggered the strongest emotional responses — measured by heart rate data collected throughout the visit. A genuinely innovative use of technology as storytelling.

And the Expo 2025 Osaka food offering? Taiwanese oolong tea and lu rou fan (braised pork rice) — both excellent.

💡 Tip: Tech World (Taiwan) is one of the absolute best pavilions at Expo 2025 Osaka — the wristband biometric experience alone is worth the queue. Don’t miss the lu rou fan at the exit restaurant.

Malta 🇲🇹 — Ancient Knights, Crystal Waters and Very Good Bread

Malta was a genuine surprise. Nestled near the Italian pavilion, this small Mediterranean nation packed an outsized cultural punch. The connection between Malta and Japan — expressed through a surprisingly ancient samurai display — was one of the more unexpected historical revelations of the entire Expo 2025 Osaka series.

The imagery of Malta’s famously clear blue waters was stunning. But the real highlight? The bread. Maltese bread served at the pavilion was so good that I returned for second and third helpings — easily the best Expo 2025 Osaka food discovery of the day.

💡 Tip: Do not leave Malta without trying the bread — it is one of the most unexpectedly delicious Expo 2025 Osaka food experiences in the entire venue.

Turkmenistan 🇹🇲 — The Most Dazzling Night Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka

If there is one pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka that absolutely must be visited after dark, it is Turkmenistan. The exterior illuminations — elaborate, glittering, and unlike anything else on the grounds — announce the pavilion’s presence from a considerable distance. In a venue full of impressive architecture, Turkmenistan’s nighttime presence is truly something else.

Inside, a portrait of what appeared to be the president greeted visitors — an immediate reminder that this is a country operating on very different terms from most of the Expo’s participants. Beyond the political subtext, a 180-degree circular screen delivered an immersive introduction to a nation that most visitors — and most Japanese — had never encountered before. Ornate decorative displays completed an experience that was equal parts fascinating and surreal.

The rooftop terrace was open, offering one of the best elevated views at Expo 2025 Osaka — and after dark, a perfect vantage point for the water show below.

💡 Tip: Turkmenistan is a must-visit after dark — the exterior illuminations and rooftop water show view make it one of the most unique nighttime things to do at Expo 2025 Osaka.

Iida Group Holdings × Osaka Metropolitan University 🏙️ — Find the Hidden Myaku-Myaku

A corporate pavilion with unexpected charm. The focus was on wellness and smart city design — what urban living might look like in the decades ahead. The centerpiece was an impressively detailed scale model of a future city, inviting visitors to imagine themselves within it.

The playful twist: Myaku-Myaku figures were hidden throughout the miniature cityscape. Staff encouraged visitors to find them all. I managed four — apparently far from a complete count. One of the more lighthearted and family-friendly things to do at Expo 2025 Osaka.

💡 Tip: Challenge yourself to find all the hidden Myaku-Myaku figures in the city model — a fun detour that adds a treasure-hunt element to this Expo 2025 Osaka visit.

Ireland 🇮🇪 — Imagination Connects Us All

A brief stop at Ireland’s pavilion to close out the day. Under the theme “Imagination connects people,” the pavilion offered a creative and culturally rich experience that deserves a dedicated visit in its own right.

💡 Tip: Ireland warrants more time than a quick stop allows — return for a full visit to do justice to one of the more creatively ambitious Expo 2025 Osaka pavilions.

Is Expo 2025 Osaka Worth Visiting? — Final Thoughts

Visit 5 delivered some of the most memorable moments of the entire Expo 2025 Osaka series. Tech World’s wristband experience, Turkmenistan’s nighttime spectacle, Malta’s extraordinary bread, and the Netherlands’ Miffy-guided journey — each one a reminder that this Expo rewards curiosity above all else.

With 101,000 visitors on the grounds, the key was moving with purpose and staying open to the unexpected. If you are still wondering whether Expo 2025 Osaka is worth visiting — five visits in, the answer has never been more certain.

This is Visit 5 in my ongoing series to review every pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka. Visit 6 coming soon.