Expo Osaka: Visitors boom at the Italian Pavilion in August

The Italian Pavilion at Expo Osaka, Japan, has seen a surge in attendance over the past month. From July 13 to August 13, the fourth month since the opening of the Universal Exhibition, attendance at events held in the auditorium and the official hall increased by 46% (compared to the quarter from April 13 to July 13). While attendance was 7,705 as of July 13, another 3,520 arrived in the last month alone, for a total of 11,225.

Of the 457 total events over the four months, 124 were economic, underscoring the Pavilion's central role as a tool for promoting Made in Italy and the internationalization of Italian businesses. This is also reflected in the 30% increase in the number of representatives of Italian, Japanese, and foreign companies participating in business events over the past month: from April 13th to July 13th, there were 3,100, while as of August 13th, the total had reached 4,055. The Italian Pavilion continues to be a privileged space for business meetings, with over 100 B2B meetings and networking activities, in addition to 50 tastings in the official restaurant managed by Eataly.

The space is also among the most visited by institutional and business delegations, with an 88% increase in the last 30 days compared to the first quarter. In the first four months, there were 390 visits to the Italy Pavilion, including 183 in the last month alone. Also noteworthy are the 12 agreements and memoranda of understanding signed and announced between universities, research centers, chambers of commerce, and civil society organizations. And the €336 million in investments announced and signed at the Italy Pavilion: the Danieli Group's acquisition of two major contracts in Japan worth a total of €200 million, and the €80 million investment by NSG Group for the renovation and expansion of a high-performance furnace at its San Salvo (Chieti) plant. And more: DR Automobiles' €50 million investment in the Macchia d'Isernia (Isernia) production site, with a business plan that will see 300 new hires as part of a revamping project for historic Italian brands. Finally, Ebara Corporation announced it will invest €6 million to add a new industrial warehouse to its Gambellara (Vicenza) site.

Beyond its economic importance, the Italian Pavilion, which saw continuous lines of over five hours at the entrance, was also crowned first at Expo 2025 for "high culture" by Esquire Japan magazine. There were 233 cultural events, involving over 4,200 participants in the Pavilion's auditorium alone, a sharp increase of 76% over the April-July period. These numbers are even higher when considering the 140 performances, 125 of which were in the theater. The Italian initiatives were also widely received: over 36 million views of the content on social media, a figure that increased 20% over the three-month period from April 13 to July 13.