The Czech National Pavilion at EXPO enchanted the Japanese princess. She stayed all day

In the first four months of the EXPO, the Czech National Pavilion was visited by over 800,000 members of the public, much to the delight of the organizers. Prestigious guests also attended, including Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, Dutch King Willem-Alexander, a U.S. delegation led by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and many other diplomats and government representatives from around the world.

A showcase of Czech business and culture designed to appeal to Japanese hearts
Ninety percent of visitors are Japanese, and as Soška notes, they know our country well. They are familiar with Prague, Czech composers, painter Alphonse Mucha, Czech glass, and Czech beer. The organizers aimed to play to this knowledge when designing the pavilion, enhancing the reputation of Czechia in one of the world’s leading economies. The goal was to make visitors feel welcome and evoke the best possible emotions. Many Czech companies and around 250 Czech artists were given space to participate. Organizers believe the Czech participation will be the largest Czech business and cultural project in over fifty years, comparable to Czechoslovakia’s Expo presence in Osaka in 1970.

Almost fifty staff members work in the pavilion daily. Most are Czech, but about twenty are from Japan, mainly waiters and waitresses from the popular Czech restaurant who need to communicate effectively with the mostly Japanese guests.

One of the largest Czech restaurants in the world
In Asia, great attention is paid to food preparation, so the menu had to represent traditional Czech cuisine in a way that, as Soška says, “won’t overwhelm the Japanese audience”—meaning no half-roast duck with six dumplings. The restaurant is busy from morning to night, serving dishes like dumplings filled with duck or pork. Fried cheese is popular, as are sweet buns with custard. Chefs aimed to showcase traditional Czech flavors using Japanese ingredients. Around 2,000 meals are served daily, and 2,500 beers are poured, making it one of the largest Czech restaurants in the world.

An effective form of economic, scientific, and cultural diplomacy
To achieve the EXPO’s goal of presenting Czechia in the best possible economic light, the organizers took a different approach than in the past. Companies are not allowed to display their products directly along the visitor route; instead, their presentation is handled through events. On weekdays, numerous conferences, seminars, and business events are organized, where companies can meet with industry counterparts. Nearly a hundred Czech companies will be showcased throughout the Expo. The national partner, the CTP development group, has already taken advantage of this opportunity, providing commercial spaces for Japanese investors. Other participants include Elmarco, a nanofiber specialist, design companies Granát Turnov and Presiosa, and the construction group Purposia. Pilsner Urquell is also served in the Czech restaurant. “Companies see this as the strongest platform for economic, scientific, and cultural diplomacy,” Soška believes. In September, an energy conference is planned, allowing Czech firms to connect with counterparts not only from Japan but also from Korea and Australia.

Celebrating Alphonse Mucha’s birthday: vintage cars, the Czech president, and a Japanese princess
One of the highlights of the National Day was the arrival of the Robot Expedition—historic vehicles that traveled for over a month from Prague to Osaka. They became a key part of the celebrations for the 165th anniversary of Alphonse Mucha’s birth, who, according to Soška, is extremely popular in Japan. The convoy included vintage Škodas, a 1956 Tatra—the oldest car in the expedition—and one vehicle each from Toyota and Ford. “They caused a big stir not only in Japan but in all the countries they passed through,” says Soška. The organizers managed to display them at the “Festival Station,” next to the France and United States pavilions, in an area visited daily by hundreds of thousands of people, ensuring the cars received plenty of attention. Czech President Petr Pavel also attended the Expo on National Day, accompanied by Her Imperial Highness Princess Takamado, who spent the entire day with the Czech delegation—a rare occurrence that demonstrates how well the National Day program was received.

Will the pavilion travel to Czechia after dismantling?
Soška has previous experience in Japan from his student days twenty years ago. Yet even now, at the World Expo, many things surprised him—most notably, that in some areas, the Japanese are not very flexible. When the organizers proposed the pavilion, Japanese authorities initially considered it too technologically innovative. They had to convince them that the building, with its entirely wooden supporting structure, would be strong enough to withstand potential earthquakes.

EXPO 2025 concludes on October 13. However, the role of the Czech Commissioner General does not end there. An important part of the project is the pavilion’s dismantling and relocation. Interested buyers from both Czechia and Japan have already expressed interest. Soška hopes that the unique spiral structure will sell well: “My wish is to manage to sell it to Czechia within a year, so that people who couldn’t travel to Japan due to the great distance can also appreciate this magnificent building.” Visitors still have nearly two months to see the pavilion at its original location, and organizers are inviting them to visit it in Japan.