If you visited Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai and plan to head to the Yokohama Expo (GREEN×EXPO 2027) in 2027 with the same expectations, a few things will catch you off guard. The classification, the venue size, and the ticket and reservation systems are all different. Every figure below comes from an official announcement by one of the two associations. Since Expo 2025 closed in 2025, its figures are labelled as being from the time it ran.
1. The two expos side by side
| Item | Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai | Yokohama Expo (GREEN×EXPO 2027) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classification | Registered exhibition (BIE) | A1-class International Horticultural Expo (BIE-recognised, AIPH-approved) | MOFA, MLIT, BIE |
| Duration | 13 April to 13 October 2025 (184 days) | 19 March to 26 September 2027 (192 days) | Official Expo 2025 site, GREEN×EXPO Association |
| Venue size | Yumeshima, Osaka: about 159 hectares (2021 business plan) | Former Kamiseya Communication Facility, Yokohama: about 100 hectares overall, 80 hectares for the venue itself | 2025 Japan Association, GREEN×EXPO Association |
| Nearest station | Osaka Metro’s Yumeshima Station, direct to the East Gate | No station. Shuttle buses from 4 stations: Seya, Mitsukyo, Tokaichiba, Minami-machida Grandberry Park | Osaka Metro, GREEN×EXPO Association |
| One-day ticket (adult) | ¥7,500 (weekday ticket ¥6,000, evening ticket ¥3,700) | ¥5,500 regular (early bird ¥4,900, evening ticket ¥3,500) | Official Expo 2025 site, GREEN×EXPO Association |
| Season pass (adult) | ¥30,000 | ¥28,000 | Official Expo 2025 site, GREEN×EXPO Association |
| Entry reservation | Timed-entry reservation required, changeable up to 3 times | Timed-entry reservation required, changeable up to 3 times | Both associations |
| Exhibit reservations | 4 windows: lottery 2 months ahead, lottery 7 days ahead, first-come open slots 3 days ahead, same-day registration | Only some exhibits, same-day reservation only, once per ticket per day, released in 3 batches | Official Expo 2025 site, GREEN×EXPO Association |
| Participating countries | 158 countries and regions, 7 international organisations (as of 13 Feb 2025) | 74 countries, 5 international organisations (as of 9 Sep 2026) | Official Expo 2025 site, GREEN×EXPO Association / MOFA |
| Official mascot | Myaku-Myaku | Tunku Tunku | Each official site |
2. Classification and duration: a registered exhibition is not the same framework as an A1-class horticultural expo
According to Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the treaty governing international expositions splits them into “registered exhibitions” and “recognised exhibitions.” A registered exhibition runs for up to six months with no cap on venue size, and Expo 2025 fell into this category.
An international horticultural expo combines the recognised-exhibition framework with approval from AIPH, the International Association of Horticultural Producers. Japan’s transport ministry describes the top tier, A1 class, as running three to six months on a venue of at least 50 hectares, with BIE approval required. GREEN×EXPO 2027 is an A1-class expo.
The two run lengths are close, 184 days for Expo 2025 against 192 for the Yokohama Expo. Both get called “world expos” in casual conversation, but the treaty puts them in separate categories. Travel agency brochures often lump them together, and knowing the difference helps set the right expectations for scale.
3. Venue size and access: a station right at the gate versus shuttle buses from four stations
Expo 2025’s venue was Yumeshima, an artificial island in Osaka’s Konohana ward. The 2025 Japan Association for the World Exposition’s business plan, dated October 2021, put the full site at about 159 hectares. Osaka Metro’s Yumeshima Station, on the Chuo Line, opened on 19 January 2025 and connects directly to the venue’s East Gate.
The Yokohama Expo’s venue sits on the former Kamiseya Communication Facility, spanning Seya and Asahi wards. The GREEN×EXPO Association’s visitor transport plan (3rd edition) gives the overall exhibition area as about 100 hectares, with 80 hectares set aside as the venue proper. There is no railway station at the site. Visitors take a reserved shuttle bus from one of four stations: Seya or Mitsukyo on the Sotetsu Main Line, Tokaichiba on the JR Yokohama Line, or Minami-machida Grandberry Park on the Tokyu Den-en-toshi Line.
Anyone expecting to step off a train straight into the venue, the way Yumeshima Station worked, will need to plan for a bus ride and its reservation instead. It is worth booking the shuttle bus or parking as soon as your timed-entry slot is confirmed.
4. Tickets and reservations: entry booking works the same way, exhibit reservations do not
The official Expo 2025 price page lists a one-day adult ticket at ¥7,500, a weekday-only ticket at ¥6,000, an evening ticket (from 17:00) at ¥3,700, and a season pass at ¥30,000. On top of these, the ticket line-up announced in June 2023 included advance one-day tickets at super early-bird (until 6 October 2024) and early-bird (until 12 April 2025) prices, an opening ticket for the first two weeks (¥4,000) and a first-half ticket valid until 18 July (¥5,000). Prices varied by both purchase timing and day of the week.
The GREEN×EXPO Association’s announcements put the Yokohama Expo’s regular one-day ticket at ¥5,500, dropping to ¥4,900 for an early bird bought by 18 March 2027, the day before opening. Its evening ticket is ¥3,500 and its season pass ¥28,000. No day-of-week ticket has been announced as of September 2026. If you got used to advance discounts at Expo 2025, the early bird works the same way, but there is nothing yet that corresponds to the weekday ticket.
Entry reservations work the same at both. Each requires a timed-entry booking, and both allow up to three changes.
Exhibit reservations are where the systems diverge. According to Expo 2025’s official reservation and lottery guide, its pavilion and event bookings opened in four windows, a lottery two months before your visit, a second lottery seven days before, first-come booking for leftover slots three days before, and same-day registration. The GREEN×EXPO Association’s announcements describe something narrower for the Yokohama Expo: only some exhibits require a reservation, it can only be made on the day itself, and it is limited to once per ticket per day, with slots released in three batches through the day.
The habit of locking in popular pavilions months ahead by lottery, which worked at Expo 2025, does not apply here. Book your timed-entry slot as soon as reservations open on 18 September 2026, and check the reservation slots soon after the gates open on the day. The full ticket-buying process is covered in “GREEN×EXPO 2027 tickets: types, prices and how to buy.”
5. Participating countries and official mascots
According to the official Expo 2025 site, 158 countries and regions and seven international organisations had announced participation as of 13 February 2025. According to the GREEN×EXPO Association and Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Yokohama Expo counts 74 countries and five international organisations as of 9 September 2026. The smaller venue comes with fewer participants.
The official mascots also differ: Myaku-Myaku at Expo 2025, Tunku Tunku at the Yokohama Expo. Their collaboration goods are covered in “What carries over from Expo 2025 to the Yokohama Expo.” With fewer participating countries, the sense of how long it takes to cover the grounds will feel different from Expo 2025 too.
Our take
Expo 2025 revolved around indoor pavilions, and queuing was a big part of the day. The Yokohama Expo puts outdoor gardens at the centre, and the gardens and flowerbeds can be seen without any reservation at all. It feels closer to a horticultural expo you wander through, booking same-day slots for exhibits that catch your eye, than a world expo where you lock in pavilions by lottery. With a smaller venue and fewer participating countries, a single day should cover more of the grounds than it would have at Expo 2025.