One month to go: Czech National Pavilion passes 1 million visitors, EXPO nears 22 million
The gates of the World EXPO will close in less than a month. Over the past five months, EXPO 2025 has already welcomed nearly 22 million visitors. In the first week of September, the Czech National Pavilion greeted its one-millionth visitor, and the number could reach up to 1.2 million this week. On Saturday, September 13, a new daily record was set – 227,000 people came to the site. As the end of the exhibition approaches, attendance is rising steeply – both EXPO 2025 and the Czech National Pavilion are enjoying great popularity, with most visitor slots already booked until the closing.
The symbolic counter at the Czech National Pavilion pointed to a three-member Japanese family, visiting the pavilion for the second time. They received a certificate marking the one-millionth visitor together with the national pavilion’s mascot René, signed the guestbook, enjoyed a kyogen theatre performance, and dined at the rooftop CTP Lounge restaurant. Current attendance has reached 1.15 million, and with the significant influx of visitors this week, the figure could approach 1.2 million.
”I am sincerely delighted with Czechia’s participation at the World EXPO 2025. After three years of intensive work, we are beginning to reap the symbolic fruits. At the beginning of September, we welcomed our one-millionth visitor, a Japanese family – Mrs. Yuka Takeuchi with her mother and five-year-old daughter. It was already their second visit, as they greatly enjoyed the pavilion. They admire Czech crystal, contemporary art, and the music of our composers. The grandmother has even visited Czechia before, and her daughter with granddaughter confided to us that they too would love to come to our country one day," says Ondřej Soška, Commissioner General of Czech participation at EXPO 2025.
Over the past five months of operation, the Czech National Pavilion has welcomed numerous distinguished guests, including members of the Japanese imperial family such as Princess Takamado, outgoing Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent, Czech President Petr Pavel, Alfons Mucha’s grandson John Mucha, and dozens of ambassadors, athletes, and business leaders from around the world.
The pavilion has also attracted a wide range of television crews from Japan and abroad, and has been featured in several TV programs — among them Japan’s immensely popular High School Quiz, a knowledge contest dating back to 1983 and reminiscent of the well-known ‘Games Without Borders’ in Europe. Just last week, famous Japanese YouTubers Hikakin and Seikin, who together have 25 million subscribers, also visited.
"With four weeks remaining until the end of the World Expo, there is still time to visit our pavilion — we are happy to welcome every guest. Attendance at EXPO is rising, and around 10,000 people now come to the Czech National Pavilion each day. Some may not be globally famous, but they carry strong or fascinating personal stories. Last Friday, we hosted a lady who had already visited us seventeen times, and in the summer we welcomed a former hostess of the Czechoslovak Pavilion at EXPO 1970, whose granddaughter wore her original uniform," says Akiko Sagae, Director of the Czech National Pavilion at EXPO 2025.
The World EXPO 2025 in Osaka reached another milestone at the beginning of September – the number of visitors surpassed 20.25 million, a symbolic figure referring to the year of the exhibition. To mark the occasion, the Japan Association for the EXPO held a special ceremony. In his opening remarks, Secretary General Hiroyuki Ishige expressed gratitude to all visitors who came despite the extremely hot summer. He emphasized that the goal is for every guest to take away an unforgettable experience from EXPO and expressed his wish that visitors continue to enjoy the exhibition until its closing.
In the past three weeks, attendance has risen significantly. On Saturday, September 13, an all-time record was set, with 227,000 people passing through the gates of EXPO 2025. This week, the number of visitors is expected to exceed 22 million — the point at which operating costs will be covered and the exhibition will turn profitable.
About the Czech Pavilion at EXPO 2025
In December 2022, after more than twenty years, the Office of the Commissioner General announced an open, anonymous architectural competition to design the National Pavilion for EXPO 2025. A total of 38 design teams submitted their proposals. In March 2023, a professional jury chaired by world-renowned architect Eva Jiřičná selected the winning concept: a glass spiral design by Apropos Architects. The pavilion’s main structure is made of modern wooden panels, while the façade features artistic glass—a material with a centuries-old tradition in Czechia. The Czech National Pavilion offers a dignified and functional space for Czechia’s participation at EXPO 2025, which will take place from April to October 2025 on the artificial island of Yumeshima in Osaka Bay. Inside the pavilion, visitors will find a permanent exhibition, a multifunctional auditorium, business facilities, a restaurant, and the CTP Lounge. In front of the pavilion, a seaside relaxation zone offers a scenic view for guests. The pavilion was officially approved in early April 2025 and is the largest wooden structure of its kind in Japan built without a metal support frame.