Osaka Expo｜Second Week of the Opening: A Love-Hate Visit Experience

The longing for the Expo turned into a complex experience during my trip to Osaka—there were moments of disappointment, but also a sense of adventure akin to completing challenges. 🎫 Reservation System: Frustratingly Complicated Buying tickets online, registering, and selecting pavilions felt unnecessarily convoluted, like "making a mountain out of a molehill." Despite claims of "no waiting," popular pavilions were still overcrowded and impossible to enter 🚧. The reservation system was like a lottery game—you could choose 5 pavilions with specific time slots or 1 pavilion with 5 time slots, leaving your chances of entering your favorite pavilion entirely up to "luck." It felt like a lottery disguised as an Expo experience. 👩 Volunteers: Enthusiastic but Struggling with Language Barriers The staff and volunteers were incredibly enthusiastic, but their English proficiency left much to be desired. Asking for directions often resulted in a barrage of Japanese, leaving me utterly confused. It was a "guess-the-direction" game where foreign visitors had to rely on intuition, significantly diminishing the overall experience. ☔ On-Site Mishap: Rushed Away Even in the Rain As I exited the subway and encountered rain, I opened my umbrella to walk—not to block the way or take shelter—but was immediately rushed by staff. There was clearly no one behind me, yet they insisted on moving me along. While I understand the need to maintain order, this felt unnecessarily absurd, leaving me speechless and amused 🙃. 💡 Conclusion: A Mixed Bag of Experiences Despite the frustrating processes, language barriers, and unexpected incidents, the Expo still offered surprising and innovative pavilion designs. If you're a "hardcore experience seeker" who can endure chaos, it might be worth the adventure. However, if you prefer a smooth and seamless visit, you might want to reconsider!