The Expo 2025 in Osaka was a lot different than the one in Milan ten years ago. We booked entry at 11.00 in the morning and we stayed there until closing hour at 22.00 and the total number of pavilion we got in to was five. Five pavilions and one common building (where countries who didn't have big pavilion had their own small stands). Compared to Milan where I got in to most of the pavilions. Most of the time we were there was spent queueing. To get in to one pavilion took about an hour or more in queue. In Milan I remember only queueing for some bigger and popular pavilions, such as Japan, and it didn't took like an hour just to get in.
My theory was that there were too few pavilions and too many people, because a lot of my favorite pavilions back then in Milan doesn't even have their own pavilions in Osaka, such as Chile and Vietnam. There were only a handful of big pavilions and a lot more smaller common pavilions. And in those big pavilions there were long interactive digital experience which took a long time, whereas before the designed experience was simpler.
The arena itself I felt was somewhat bigger. To get to another part of the Expo took a long time. And it being in Japan, the arena was very well designed. The famous ring designed by Sou Fujimoto provided shade, sitting area, and a beautiful upper level area. The overall landscape and amenities buildings were also well thought of. Even though it was very crowded it didn't feel suffocating, it flowed very well. And the thing I admired the most was at the end of the closing day, where ten if not hundred of thousands of people were going at the same time to the one and only metro station to get back home, there were no chaos. They kept us walking round and round for a long time and by the time we arrived at the station, we got in to the train and head back home. Tiring but no chaos, no uncertainty. Just truly astonishing Japanese organization.
