A speakeasy opens with the aim of becoming a hub of the city where people from all over the world gather!

Aiming to become “a hub of the city where people from all over the world gather” during the Expo, sakaba (bar) will open in the center of Kita (North) and Minami (South), respectively.

With the concept of “Kansai people are interesting, and Kansai people at night are even more interesting,” our goal is to provide a place where locals and tourists can interact, to make “interesting people” more than just facilities and events, and to increase the value of the city as a tourist resource.

In addition, foreign countries and domestic regions and companies that wish to use the Expo as an opportunity to disseminate information and attractions will open stalls on a weekly basis, and tourists will be able to enjoy food, drink, music, talk shows, and shopping related to the organizations that have stalls, thereby increasing the momentum of the Expo.

Project Inauguration

The EXPO Sakaba Main Branch was born out of the desire to extend the excitement of the Expo beyond the venue to the entire city. TheExpo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan is expected to be primarily a daytime event, and many visitors may have trouble finding things to do at night. To prevent visitors from feeling that there is nothing to do at night even though they have come all the way to Osaka, we decided to create “another Expo” in the city. This idea led to the creation of the “EXPO Sakaba Main Branch” in the heart of Osaka’s Kita (North) and Minami (South) districts.
This sakaba is more than just a place to eat and drink; it is a “hub of exchange” where tourists and locals can naturally mingle and talk. The bar is part of a system that allows the entire city to function as a “nighttime pavilion” where various cultures and businesses from around the world and Japan open weekly, and a variety of food, music, and talks intersect. The Expo Sakaba Head Office was created as a place that offers a unique experience where visitors can experience the “fun of people,” which is the charm of Osaka.

Project Activities

The main branches are located in Kita (Umeda) and Minami (Shinsaibashi), with weekly openings by local governments, companies, and organizations from around the world and Japan. The shops offer diverse cultural experiences through food, drinks, music, art, talk events, and more.

The sakaba will be the starting point for the “Night Pavilion,” which will liven up the nights during the Expo, and the “OSAKA YORUMON,” a web application that introduces interesting Osaka people you can meet on the streets of Osaka at night. The Expo Bar is a place where tourists and locals can naturally connect with each other and experience the “fun of Osaka’s people” in a realistic way. It is a gateway to a new way to enjoy a night out in the city, where you can “meet and experience the Osaka way” without having to go to the Expo site.

Future Prospects for the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo

The EXPO Sakaba was created as an exchange center to create an experience where “people meet people and cultures mix” in the city of Osaka during the Expo. Our goal is to take over this role and continue its operation as a permanent venue after the Expo is over.
The Expo Sakaba is also a place where tourists and locals can mix naturally and experience the “fun of people” in Osaka, based on the idea that “people are a tourism resource. In the future, we aim to collaborate with regions throughout Japan and overseas, and to open the bar as a “testing ground” where young people, creators, and businesses can try out their ideas.
The Expo Sakaba will continue to serve as a base to connect the memory of the Expo to the future, and at the same time, to establish a “culture of mixing and matching” in Osaka.

EXPO Sakaba Kita Main Branch

EXPO Sakaba Minami Branch