Re-Discover Japan's Beauty in Sakai, Osaka
CONCEPT コンセプト
Japanese beauty and aesthetics are renowned across the globe. At Expo 2025, gain a deeper understanding of the essence and origins of Japanese aesthetics through experiences delivered by Sakai City.
Events at Expo 2025 hosted by Sakai City
The world of Mucha,
woven by Sakai's artisans
10:00~20:00
(Near East Gate)
Concept
Sakai, once a thriving trading city, adopted foreign cultures and nurtured diverse traditions. It is also home to one of the world's largest collections of works by Czech artist Alfons Mucha. Enjoy a special experience where tradition and art meet through traditional cultural workshops, demonstrations and exhibitions that incorporate beautiful motifs from Mucha's works.
Check !
Post photos capturing the charms of Sakai on social media and receive a Mucha-designed Japanese cotton hand towel (wazarashi tenugui) *Available while supplies last
Please take advantage of the Expo to visit Sakai.
Experience making sachets of Sakai incense, inspired by the flowers depicted by Mucha.
Enjoy whisking matcha and watch demonstrations of Japanese sweets inspired by Mucha’s works
Exhibition of works by Sakai artisans based on Mucha's works, including a reproduction of a Phantom Carpet Project handwoven carpet
A photo spot surrounded by Mucha’s masterpieces and the beautiful flowers depicted in his art
Performances of music from Mucha’s era and exchanges with the Czech Republic
producer of “Playground of Life – Jellyfish Hall”
© Office of the Czech Commissioner General, EXPO 2025
Fall tours discovering local attractions
Highlights of Osaka's 43 Municipalities
Expo 2025, Expo Messe
(5-min walk from West Gate)
9:00～21:00
Fry to Fly Project
Experience how used oil becomes SAF in VR
Using VR, you can experience how used oil from households and other sources is turned into Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) at Japan's only plant in Sakai City, and then used in aircraft. *This event will be held in collaboration with JGC Holdings Corporation and Cosmo Oil Co., Ltd., members of the Sakai SDGs Promotion Platform.
10:30~11:00
A passionate ensemble that transcends generations
The‰＊ from 千のRockYou!!
The band "The‰＊ (The Permille)" will be performing at "千のRockYou!!" a music exchange event where a large group of people play one song at the same time. They will perform songs such as the Expo theme song "Continuation of this Earth." *Sponsored by Nankai Electric Railway Co., Ltd., a member of the Sakai SDGs Promotion Platform
9:00～21:00
Japanese sweets demonstration and sales at "Sakai Housen Confectionery Shop"
Japanese sweets that developed alongside Sakai's tea ceremony culture - Locally beloved "Kofun-yaki"
A Japanese confectionery shop founded in Sakai 90 years ago. Their specialty, Kofun-yaki, is a favorite among locals and is their most popular item. They change their sweets with the seasons to offer a variety of treats for customers to enjoy.
9:00～21:00
Experience the Smart City
Experience the latest technology through public-private partnerships
You can experience the advanced technologies that the SENBOKU Smart City Consortium is working on in collaboration with the public and private sectors, such as an exhibition about the future based on the voices of the local community, an experience of walking assistance technology in situations where there is no visual information, and an experience of dietary suggestions based on sensor detection.
9:00～16:00
Nakamozu Innovation & CoderDojo ExpoSpecial
An interactive exhibit that connects children to technology from Sakai and Nakamozu and their imaginations
The event will feature an exhibition of examples of innovation and products created in Sakai and Nakamozu, as well as simple robots and games programmed by children participating in the city's programming community, CoderDojo, and will also feature an exhibition and hands-on experience.
Similar Events in Sakai City
Special Exhibition Mucha and Yumeji STYLE of BEAUTY
This exhibition compares the female images of Alphonse Mucha (1860-1939) and Yumeji Takehisa (1884-1934), exploring their respective ways of expressing beauty and the thoughts they put into their works.
- Date: August 23 (Sat) ~ November 30 (Sun), 2025
- Location: Sakai Alphonse Mucha Museum
Planetarium program "Tracing the Starry Sky with Mucha"
With the cooperation of the Sakai Alphonse Mucha Museum, we will be showcasing Mucha's works and the stars he painted in the planetarium. Why not follow the night sky he gazed upon, along with his myths and stories?
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Date:
October 4 (Sat) ~ December 21 (Sun), 2025
Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from 4:30pm
*There will be no projection on Saturday, November 22nd. - Location: Sophia Sakai Planetarium
Czech Festival 2025 in Kansai
Three days packed with Czech charm. At the 7th annual Czech Festival in Kansai, you can enjoy popular traditional Czech music, culture, food, and puppet shows.
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Date:
October 24 (Fri), 2025 16:00~21:00
October 25 (Sat), 2025 11:00~20:00
October 26 (Sun), 2025 11:00~19:00 - Location: Sakai City Citizens Plaza "Mina Sakai" (in front of Sakai City Hall)
The 52nd Sakai Festival
Sakai's largest annual event held every October, featuring matchlock gun demonstrations, Futon daiko drum performances, the Rikyu hometown tea ceremony, and much more showcasing Sakai’s charm.
- Date: October 18 (Sat) & 19 (Sun), 2025
- Location: Around Ochoji-suji (Nankai Koya Line Sakai-higashi Station to Nankai Line Sakai Station), Sakai Plaza of Rikyu and Akiko, Nanshuji Temple, and more
FactorISM 2025
~ Cultural Festival of the Successors ~
Four days to experience local factories with all five senses. Feel manufacturing through sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste.
- Date: October 23 (Thu) ~ 26 (Sun), 2025
- Location: Various business sites in Sakai City and more
Music Exchange Event
「千のRockYou!!」
Nankai Electric Railway Co., Ltd., a member of the Sakai SDGs Promotion Platform, will be hosting a music event in which 1,000 band members will perform the same song simultaneously. The band "The‰* (The Permille)," who will be performing at the Expo, will also be performing.
- Date: November 22 (Sat), 2025
- Location: Large lawn area in Oizumi Ryokuchi
SAKAI TICKETS
What are Sakai Tickets?
Discount tickets available for use in Sakai City after Expo 2025Visitors to the Sakai event site at Expo 2025 can participate in a lottery for "Sakai Tickets" offering discounts on sightseeing locations in Sakai. "Sakai Tickets" can be obtained by scanning a QR code at the venue on the day of the event and entering a lottery. We look forward to seeing you at the Expo 2025 Sakai event site and in Sakai!
Enjoy unique encounters with
Sakai's open mind philosophy
10:00~20:00
(Near East Gate)
As a historical trading hub, Sakai has long flourished through cultural exchange, giving birth to diverse traditions. Through interactive experiences such as traditional performances, cultural workshops, and exchanges with artisans and sumo wrestlers, enjoy the timeless spirit of Japanese tradition that thrives in Sakai.
Check !
Post photos capturing the charm of Sakai on
social media and receive an exclusive
Sakai x Jordan original Japanese-style towel*available while supplies last!
Please take advantage of the Expo to visit Sakai.
wearing a Sakai traditional "Naniwa-dyed Yukata".
Highlights
A giant hand-painted “Koinobori” (carp streamer) by Osaka’s sole remaining artisan makes a stunning appearance at the Expo.
Live demonstration of exquisite engraving on Sakai knives—admired by top chefs around the world.
Hands-on experiences showcasing the skills behind traditional tenugui (hand towels) and yukata-making.
Step into the spirit of amateur sumo with an interactive experience from Sakai, a hub of sumo tradition.
Cross-cultural stage connecting Sakai and Jordan—celebrating global friendship and heritage.
Enjoy premium Japanese tea and sweets curated by Sakai’s master tea artisans.
Dynamic stage performances blending shamisen (Japanese lute), calligraphy, and other musical arts.
stage wearing a Sakai traditional "Naniwa-dyed Yukata".
A grand stage for
tea ceremony and hospitality
10:00 〜 20:30
※From 11:30 on the first day, until 18:00 on the last day
(5-min walk from East Gate)
Sakai is the birthplace of Sen no Rikyu, the great tea master who refined Japanese tea ceremony culture.
On this comfortable, grand stage decorated with vibrant Japanese umbrellas and paper lanterns, both works of master artisans, guests may savor matcha tea as well as sencha, or infused tea, offered by masters of the san-senke ("three great schools of tea ceremony") paired with Japanese traditional sweets from long-established shops.
Checkpoint!
Post a photo sharing Sakai's appeal on
social media to get Free traditional Japanese sweets!*Offer valid while supplies last.
Venue
Highlights
Enjoy hospitality and receive tea from the masters of Japan's "three great tea ceremony schools" alongside special traditional Japanese sweets
Special performance of the theme music from the NHK historical Taiga drama "What Will You Do, Ieyasu?" by Sakai City artist Wataru Inamoto
Photo op with vibrant Japanese umbrellas and paper lanterns dyed with traditional “chusen” technique
Listen to the enchanting shamisen, first introduced to Japan via Sakai through overseas trade
Enjoy mesmerizing global grooves by DJ TOHRU / DJ JUNTANAKA
Envision a future urban retreat
where silence and tranquility
sharpen the mind
9:00 〜 20:30
※From 11:30 on the first day, until 18:00 on the last day
(5-min walk from East Gate)
A dignified, relaxed space in the middle of the vibrant Expo 2025 site.
With a focus on chanoyu (tea ceremony), visitors can experience tranquility and mindfulness while learning about the culture and spirituality of Sakai.
Venue
Highlights
Enjoy green tea prepared just for you in a calming space
Experience tea ceremony in harmony with nature through bamboo artwork by Tanabe Chikuunsai IVPhoto by：Tadayuki Minamoto
Cherish fleeting life through tea ceremony surrounded by plants and flowers
Immersive experiences transport visitors to another world
Appreciate the beauty of modern artists’ tea ceremony implements
Free your mind through the open spirit of Sakai’s tea ceremony