Talk with Japan Expo at Osaka Expo! Why is it the “best environment for overseas expansion”

Japan Expo Paris (Japan Expo Paris) is one of the largest Japanese cultural events held around the world. Furthermore, in order to increase its presence, “Japan Expo Paris in Osaka” was held for a limited period of 2 days at the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo, where people from all over the world gather.
At the lecture given by the organizer during the exhibition, our representative, Ikushima Gison, appeared on stage as an important participant from Japan. I talked about the “appeal of Japan Expo” that I felt through my participation over 14 years.

250,000 people are enthusiastic about this Japanese cultural festival

The speakers at the lecture were Japan Expo co-founders Thomas Schild and Jean-François Dufour. At the beginning, they introduced the 24-year history of the Japan Expo, guests, number of visitors, etc. along with images, and then they also introduced the pavilion “WABI SABI,” which our corporation has been developing since 2009.
After that, Ikushima, the representative of our corporation, also appeared on stage. We unraveled the “Japan Expo seen from the Japanese participants” in the form of a session with the two of them.

Business-oriented cultural events

——What was your first impression of the Japan Expo?

(Ikushima, same below) I was surprised and at the same time felt that more than 200,000 enthusiastic fans are passionate about Japanese culture.
‍

—— What do you think is the difference between Japan Expo and other Japanese cultural events?

Currently, hundreds, or possibly more than a thousand, of Japanese cultural events are being held around the world. Among them, I feel that Japan Expo is the most sophisticated. What is noteworthy is the quality of the content and operation status.
While there are many events run by Nori, such as cultural festivals, this expo is managed with a business orientation. The fact that there are the most number of exhibitors from Japan for business purposes and that it is growing steadily as an event is probably a result of that.

The best environment for overseas expansion

——What kind of place is the Japan Expo for craftsmen and artists participating in the Japanese traditional culture pavilion “WABI SABI” developed by Japan Promotion?

If you are aiming for overseas expansion, it can be said that it is the most blessed environment in the world for test marketing your own products. After all, the 250,000 visitors to the Japan Expo are die-hard fans of Japan! I don't think there are many opportunities to have prospects with such excellent quality and quantity.
Furthermore, we have a support system in place so that you can participate with peace of mind even when exhibiting overseas for the first time. Japanese staff will support everything from participation decisions to local booth management.
If you want to target not only the Japanese market, but also the global market, I think it's worth considering participating first.