This is Hamamoto from TIMEWELL.
Expo 2025 brings together food from more than 150 countries in a single venue. The reputation for expensive exhibition food is understandable — and there are certainly premium options at the site. But the under-¥1,000 tier is more substantial than most first-time visitors expect. This report covers the affordable options worth prioritizing.
The EU Food Festival: Japanese-European Fusion Done Well
The EU Food Festival booth is one of the more conceptually coherent food offerings at the venue. Rather than presenting standard European dishes, the chefs have developed menus that bring Japanese ingredients and seasoning techniques into contact with European culinary traditions.
The resulting dishes lean toward umami-forward depth with a sweetness that reads as distinctly Japanese in its balance. For visitors looking to understand how food can function as cultural diplomacy — one of the implicit themes of the entire Expo — the EU Food Festival is a useful case study in what creative adaptation actually looks like at the table.
The pricing is competitive. The specific daily menus vary, but most items fall below the ¥1,000 threshold while maintaining quality above what you would expect from a budget food stand.
Myakumyaku Yakigashi: The Expo Mascot in Dessert Form
Sold by Rappopo, the Myakumyaku Yakigashi is a castella-style baked item shaped to reference the Expo's mascot character. The product comes in four flavors:
- Plain — clean, classic castella character
- Chocolate — deeper, not oversweeet
- Custard — smooth, mild
- Gorojima Kintoki sweet potato — regional Japanese ingredient, naturally sweet
Eight pieces for ¥960. The soft texture and the variety of flavors within a single purchase make this one of the venue's better value propositions. The presentation — portable, snackable, and visually connected to the Expo's identity — works for social sharing as well as actual eating.
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Dotonbori Kukuru: A Takoyaki Variation Worth Trying
The Dotonbori Kukuru Bikkuri Takohashi Maki (¥800) is not standard takoyaki. The preparation places the octopus piece so that it protrudes visibly from the ball, creating an unusual visual and a texture contrast between the firm octopus exterior and the soft, chewy inner dough. The flavor profile is familiar, but the format is distinctive enough to justify attention even from visitors who have eaten takoyaki elsewhere on the site.
Tonkatsu Mai-Sen: The Myakumyaku Pocket Sandwich
Mai-Sen, known for its tonkatsu, offers a Myakumyaku-branded pocket sandwich (¥880) at the venue. The format — a handheld sandwich with egg and fish fry filling in a soft bread pocket — positions itself as portable Japanese comfort food adapted for Expo-scale eating conditions. The quality of the fillings is consistent with Mai-Sen's standards, and the price point makes it one of the more justifiable ¥880 purchases at the venue.
Belgian Liège Waffle and Chocolate Soft Serve
The Belgian pavilion's food truck offers:
- Liège waffle — ¥500
- Belgian chocolate soft serve — ¥800
The Liège waffle, denser and chewier than the Brussels variety, holds its structure and concentration of flavor at outdoor temperatures better than softer alternatives. The chocolate soft serve draws from a confectionery tradition with genuine depth. Both are accessible as single purchases, and the combined total stays below ¥1,500 for visitors who want both.
Serbia Pavilion: The Ćevapi Sandwich
The Serbia Pavilion's Ćevapi Sandwich (¥880) is one of the more underrated options at the venue. The preparation — minced meat rolls in a soft bread roll, finished with yogurt sauce — delivers layered flavor that reads as unfamiliar in a genuinely good way. The yogurt sauce provides acidity that cuts the richness of the meat, and the whole assembly is more structurally interesting than most sandwiches at the venue.
Visitor feedback has been consistently strong on this one: the combination of meat quality and sauce balance makes it stand out at the price point.
Australia Pavilion: Aussie Meat Pie (¥850)
The meat pie from the Australia Pavilion (¥850) offers a portable, high-protein option with a crust that stays intact better than most hand-held items at the venue. The filling is dense and savory. For business visitors covering large distances on foot across the site, the format — easy to eat standing, not messy — is a practical advantage.
Kushikatsu Daruma: Expo Croquette (¥250)
At ¥250, the Kushikatsu Daruma Expo Croquette is the lowest-cost entry point among the venue's distinctive food offerings. The croquette format is familiar, but Daruma's execution — crisply fried, seasoned to the brand's standard — is reliable. Worth picking up as an accompaniment to another purchase rather than as a standalone stop.
A Note on the Food Experience Itself
One of the consistent observations from the venue is that queuing at food stands becomes part of the social experience. Standing adjacent to vendors from neighboring pavilions generates conversations and informal exchanges that would not happen in a conventional restaurant setting. This is particularly true in the outdoor market areas, where the density of vendors creates genuine cultural proximity.
For business visitors: the range and quality of food at the sub-¥1,000 level at Expo 2025 offers a useful data point on what international exhibitors consider representative of their food culture. The choices are deliberate — they reflect each country's or brand's understanding of what will communicate value and identity in this specific context. That alone makes the food program worth treating as professional content rather than just a meal break.
Reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QnhI7cg_I0