9. Time Schedule Osaka Expo Strategy Report! (Total Day 7)

Expo ReportA record of a 3-day, 2-night trip from 6/30 (Mon) to 7/2 (Wed).It is 7/2 (Tue), the final day, and the 7th day in total. Yesterday, my body got used to the heat, and by not queuing for pavilions during the day and instead 'eating and drinking' to conserve energy, I made it through in high spirits!

I will continue to enjoy the Expo today without pushing myself too hard! I probably won't be coming back during the summer, so I want to visit the places I'm curious about. Hmm! Even though I say 'without pushing myself,' the part of me that thinks 'I want to do my best' is the nature of someone ranked 6th in achievement desire.

This time, I'm also standing by at the venue before 7:00 AM. I will report on a day spent enjoying myself to the fullest until I return to Nagoya.

The report will continue tolist my day as a time schedule, showing my behavioral patterns mixed with advance reservations and same-day reservations. And I will add 'eating and drinking' to it.

Regarding the pavilions I entered, I will display them as follows.
◎Time: Pavilion Name/Type of Reservation/Time Spent Queuing
Places where I ate or drank are
◇Time: Place/What I ate or drank/Time Spent Queuing
I would be happy if this could be even a little helpful to you♡

◎7/2 (Wed) Total Day 7◎

Pavilions visited & reservation status, etc. & basic information

□ Pavilions visited: 9
Ireland Pavilion, Malaysia Pavilion, Netherlands Pavilion, Hungary Pavilion, Adventure of Life, Proof of Life, Turkmenistan Pavilion, Bahrain Pavilion, Canada Pavilion

□ Eating and drinking: 4
UK Pavilion/Restaurant (Takeout), Australia Pavilion/Wine Float, UK Pavilion/Johnnie Walker Bar, Nichirei/Frozen Fried Rice & Imagawayaki

□ Admission Reservation: East Gate 9:00
□ 1 Reservation: 7-day advance reservation 'Signature Pavilion: Dialogue Theater - Proof of Life - (Naomi Kawase)', no 3-day advance reservation, same-day reservation 'Signature Pavilion: Adventure of Life (Shoji Kawamori)/Super Dimension Theater'
□ Weather: Cloudy then sunnyMaximum Temperature: 35.4°C
□ Number of visitors (official): Approx. 113,000 people

6:55 Arrived at East Gate

Started queuing at 6:55. I feel like the line is longer than yesterday! It's cloudy and humid today. Early opening at 8:55.

9:05 Got a same-day reservation for 'Adventure of Life'

I finally got a same-day reservation for the 'Signature Pavilion: Adventure of Life (Shoji Kawamori)/Super Dimension Theater' that I couldn't get before!With this, I have conquered the signature pavilions, which was my biggest goal for the Expo.

◎9:10–9:15 'Ireland Pavilion' ☆0 minutes queuing☆

The Ireland Pavilion is very popular! It's located right after you enter from the East Gate and cross the Grand Roof Ring, so I decided to go there first. There was already a line in front of the reception desk handing out same-day numbered tickets to watch the concert.I was told that if I just wanted to enter the pavilion, I could go right in.So, I slipped in and walked around in 5 minutes.

◎9:15–9:20 'Malaysia Pavilion' ☆0 minutes queuing☆

No one is lining up!!! When I realized the entrance was on the second floor and went up, I walked right in! It feels like more effort is put into the scenery of the future than into historical scenes. I slipped in, took a quick look around, and came out in 5 minutes.

◎9:25–10:05 "Netherlands Pavilion" ☆20-minute wait☆

The pavilion I aimed to enter first thing this morning. Since it's near the West Gate, it's quite a distance from the East Gate, requiring a trek across the venue. I ended up entering two pavilions that had no lines along the way, so I arrived slightly later than planned.

The Netherlands Pavilion is highly popular and reservations are difficult to get!The time slots for walk-in entry are only from 9:00 to 11:00 AM and after 6:30 PM. When I go during those times, there's always a long line, but as expected, it's still short in the 9 o'clock hour!

I managed to slip into the line within the pavilion grounds just in time. If the line gets any longer, you have to wait under the Grand Roof Ring!! The large sunshade umbrellas next to the pavilion are a welcome sight.

After waiting for about 20 minutes, I entered. Each person carries an orb-like sphere while walking through the pavilion. The system is that about 20 people at a time are given orbs and allowed to enter.

You walk through the history of the Netherlands and water while watching the visuals and seeing how the orbs react. The visuals spreading across the ceiling in the final zone are impressive.

◎10:10–11:15 "Hungary Pavilion" ☆45-minute wait☆

Waiting for 45 minutes is the longest I've done so far! I felt like if I missed this opportunity, I wouldn't be able to see it, so I decided to wait. Watching the flow, it seems a large number of people enter every 15 minutes. Walk-in visitors enter after the reservation holders (this is pretty much the same everywhere).

Sunshades are set up within the pavilion grounds. Much appreciated. I entered at 10:55 and watched the live performance starting at 11:00.

We sat in a circle facing the center of the circular stage. Spotlights in the pitch black. The beautiful singing voice was so refreshing that I forgot about the heat. A 15-minute healing session~♬

◇11:20–11:50 "UK Pavilion Restaurant" ☆3-minute wait☆

I had decided to go to the UK Pavilion for lunch. When I went to the restaurant zone, there was a line for the air-conditioned indoor seating, so I decided to get takeout and eat on the terrace. I ordered a "Masala Curry" and a canned beer, then headed to a table.

However, although I was handed the canned beer, I wasn't being called (the system uses a buzzer that rings when your food is ready).

After waiting 10 minutes, I lost my patience and went to the kitchen to check, only to discover a mistake! What I had been given was "Fish & Chips"!

I wanted to eat Masala Curry, so that was a bummer! I pulled myself together, drank my beer, and dug in. It was a bit too greasy for me, though.

12:00 7-Eleven

Since I had time before my same-day reservation for "Adventure of Life," I bought a rice ball at 7-Eleven (I really wanted to eat some rice!). I also got a Coolish for dessert♡

After finishing my meal, I relaxed on a bench in front of the Water Plaza. The movement of people walking on the Grand Roof Ring looks like art no matter how many times I see it. I love this scenery.I could watch it forever.

◎12:30–13:10 "Signature Pavilion: Adventure of Life (Shoji Kawamori) / Super-Dimensional Theater" ☆Same-day reservation☆

This was a pavilion I had struggled to book from the start, and I finally managed to get a same-day reservation at 9:00 AM! After receiving the preliminary explanation, I entered the Super-Dimensional Theater at 12:50.

The Super-Dimensional Theater is a circular room where about 30 people sit facing the center. We put on VR goggles with cameras to enjoy a super-stereoscopic image where reality and virtual space fuse together.

The title is "499 Seconds: My Fusion." The immersion is incredible! I've never seen images like this before. This is truly an Expo-level experience!!!!!

◇13:30–14:15 "Australia Pavilion / Wine Float" ☆2-minute wait☆

Since I had time before my next reservation, I headed to the Australia Pavilion in search of something cold. There was a performance going on at the stage right in front of the pavilion~♬ It felt great.

I got a wine float and drank it in the shade while listening to music.It's a float made by freezing wine as is, so it feels like I'm basically drinking wine! Actually, I went the day before too, but it was sold out, so this was my revenge.

Even on this day, they asked me, 'It's not fully frozen yet, but is that okay?' It's popular, I guess. I get it. It was definitely wine, so I got a nice buzz and took a slow break.

◎ 14:30–16:00 'Signature Pavilion: Dialogue Theater - Proof of Life - (Naomi Kawase)' *7-day advance reservation*

When lining up, I received a card with today's theme written on it. The theme for this day was, 'Who is stronger: the person who knows everything, or the person who knows nothing?'

This building was created by dismantling wooden abandoned schools in Nara and Kyoto and reassembling them on-site using those materials. There are three buildings in total. Perhaps because of that, the entire pavilion is wrapped in a nostalgic atmosphere.

Once everyone (about 150 people) had gathered inside the school, we were told, 'If you have a card with a ginkgo mark, please raise your hand.' 'Oh, that's me!' For some reason, I had a feeling I would be picked.

The five people who qualified raised their hands and went to the hallway. They said they would decide today's dialogue partner from among them.I couldn't pass up an opportunity like this, so I volunteered!

I received an explanation about the dialogue in a separate room.There were two rules: 'Do not introduce yourself' and 'Do not use honorifics.' The time limit was 10 minutes (there was no timekeeper, and it would just shut down when time was up). The person on the other side of the screen had registered through an advance application. They said they had received some training. The content of the dialogue was free!

When the time came, I was called and went up to the stage in the venue where everyone was sitting and waiting. It was a strange feeling to be under the spotlight. I started a dialogue with the person I was meeting for the first time, who was projected in large size on the screen in front of me.

We talked for 10 minutes.The people in the venue were apparently listening to the dialogue, sharing and empathizing with it during that time.It's a shame there was no feedback, so I don't know how everyone felt, but it was a very valuable experience.

I feel like it turned into something like coaching halfway through. The total time for this event was about 50 minutes.

After that, I went to the 'Forest Meeting Place' and watched three documentary films by director Naomi Kawase. The visuals were just beautiful.

◇16:15–17:00 'UK Pavilion: Johnnie Walker Bar / 2 Mojitos' ☆0 min wait☆

I had my eye on the Johnnie Walker Bar when I visited the UK Pavilion! This was one of my target spots for today.

It was happy hour until 5 PM, so I could get two drinks for the price of one!When I ordered a mojito, wow, they poured a generous amount of alcohol! Since there were no snacks, I ordered a bag of blue cheese crackers (they were expensive).

As I was taking my usual photos, a cheerful British dad wandered into the frame (it looked like he was there with his family of four). He kindly took a photo of me and said something.I used a smartphone translator to understand he was asking, 'Do you need any help?' so I gestured back, 'I'm fine! I can drink both!'

When he was leaving,'I like your style. Never compromise,' he messaged me using a smartphone translator!What a great guy♡ His words really touched my heart!

Anyway, I didn't want to waste time drinking slowly, so I gulped down the two strong mojitos, felt great, and left the bar.

◇17:30–18:15 'Nichirei / Frozen Fried Rice & Beer & Imagawayaki' ☆0 min wait☆

I was so hungry that day and really wanted some rice, so after checking out the Singapore Pavilion and the Kindai Tuna restaurant, I settled on Nichirei's frozen fried rice.

Delicious! So delicious!!! Fried rice is basically Japanese soul food now♡Frozen food is essential for the future of food, isn't it? Kundo Koyama's message, 'One meal, one soul, toward the future of frozen food,' says it all.

After 6 PM, I ate the takeout Imagawayaki in front of the shop. It was right on the path leading to the 'Forest of Silence,' a calm spot where you could feel nature despite being at the Expo site.I love the futuristic city, but nature is nice too—eating an Imagawayaki while feeling all warm and fuzzy is the best!

◎18:25–18:50 'Turkmenistan Pavilion' ☆10-minute wait☆

At this time, the lines are significantly shorter compared to the daytime! Entered in 10 minutes. A completely unknown mysterious country, Turkmenistan. The country introduction video in the first zone was very good. There were many exhibits showing that it's an authoritarian state with money.

The building is the most spectacular and magnificent at night! The restaurant on the upper terrace was also lovely! Someone should go check it out.

◎18:55–19:30 'Bahrain Pavilion' ☆20-minute wait☆

Moved to the neighboring Bahrain. Entered at 19:15. The commentary was very thorough and easy to understand. As expected, listening to explanations deepens one's understanding.

◎19:35–20:25 'Canada Pavilion' ☆35-minute wait☆

It's already time to go home, but I headed toward the East Gate while wondering what to do. I noticed the line for the Canada Pavilion, which I happened to pass by, was overwhelmingly shorter than usual! I decided to make it my last pavilion of the day and got in line.

I waited 35 minutes, so I got a little impatient toward the end, but I entered at 20:10. Each person (or group) is handed a monitor. This was surprisingly interesting!

The technology where images appear when you point this monitor at what looks like nothing but white blocks inside the pavilion! Amazing! It makes you feel like, 'Way to go, Canada.'I can see why it's popular!

I wanted to enjoy the video more slowly, but I was worried about my Shinkansen time, so I left the Canada Pavilion.

20:25 Exit the East Gate

I left the East Gate feeling a bit rushed. I don't have any plans to come back for a while, so I thought about enjoying the Grand Roof Ring one last time, but I headed to the station at a brisk pace. The route to the station was a short course again tonight, so I was relieved to arrive at the station earlier than expected.

In conclusion

On this day, my step count inside the Expo was about 18,000 steps. Well, now I'm heading back to Nagoya. When I made this reservation, I thought this would be my last time at the Expo, but I still have so many regrets! I have to go one more time.

That said, I will avoid the hot summer months of July and August.The opening hours of each pavilion and the times for the water shows and drone shows change daily, so you can't take your eyes off them! Next time I go, I'll have to do some research again before I head out.

Departing Osaka Station on the Kodama at 21:36 -> Arriving in Nagoya at 22:34 to head home. This was another three days that I thoroughly enjoyed.I hope my "Time Schedule DE Osaka Expo Strategy Report" will be helpful to those who are planning to go to the Expo.

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