By Alyssa Johnston
Expo Reporter

OSAKA, Japan — With just over a month left until the Osaka Expo ends, some are asking what kind of achievements participant countries will bring home from the six-month-long event?

The Canada Pavilion hosted a lunch discussion on Sept. 3 with researchers from around the world and leaders from other pavilions to discuss nation branding at World Expos. The event itself was an example of the kind of behind-the-scenes diplomacy that has gone on at Canada’s pavilion, in addition to the performance stage and Canada’s stunning augmented reality exhibition.

While media coverage often focuses on the economic impact and Expo visitor numbers, the discussion at the Canada Pavilion highlighted the deeper, less-publicized significance of World Expos. Experts argue that the public often misunderstands the true purpose of these global gatherings, which is far more than just an economic fair or a tourist attraction.

“Given the context and the uncertain geopolitical times that we’re living in, where the traditional tools of diplomacy are just not as effective as they’ve been in the past, this opportunity to bring together 160 nations in Japan has really allowed Canada and other players to demonstrate our values and our principles and what we stand for and to have diplomatic conversations with other nations,” Canada’s Expo Commissioner General Laurie Peters told Capital Current in an earlier interview.

The Canada Pavilion hosted a lunch gathering Sept. 3 of experts and pavilion representatives to discuss the impact of Expo. [Photo © Alyssa Johnston]

At the lunch discussion hosted by Canada, the Commissioner General of Portugal’s pavilion, Joana Gomes Cardoso, echoed Peters.

“There is a huge misunderstanding from the general public about what the Expo is,” Cardoso noted. “Some think it’s an economic fair or a tourism fair, which it is also, but it is not exclusive to that.” As Cardoso put it, the Expo is also a platform for public diplomacy from a people-to-people perspective.

At the Expo, pavilions from various countries introduce their cultures, lifestyles, showcase national projects and present cutting-edge technologies. Additionally, the World Expo serves as a venue for building bilateral and multilateral relationships with the host country and foreign countries and facilitating diplomacy through soft power.

Peters, the lead for Canada at Expo 2025, said the true value of the Expo is not simply transactional. “It’s not just about the number of business deals brokered, but it’s also about demonstrating to the people of the host country and other partner countries that Canada is present, reliable, trustworthy, and value-driven,” Peter said.

“The Expo is about the partnerships we’ve been able to broker and the ability to use this as a platform for our provinces and territories, our sister cities, and our friendship associations as we move towards 100 years of diplomatic relations in Japan.”

A researcher in public diplomacy, Nick Cull, pointed out that countries investing in World Expos have faced criticism in recent years. Cull is a professor in public diplomacy at the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism ad the University of Southern California. While some would argue the money spent on these events could be allocated to domestic needs, Cull contends that such investment is crucial. He said that nation branding and building a positive reputation for a country is actually a form of national defense. In the 21st century, Cull said, a good reputation isn’t just a bonus. It’s essential for a country’s survival and for maintaining the status it already has. The positive image and global trust fostered at an event like the World Expo can be a crucial safeguard in an increasingly complex world with instability and geopolitical chaos, Cull said.

At the Osaka World Expo, even in the humid heat as high as 35 degrees Celsius, visitors wait in long lines to see the pavilion presentations. Cull said it is a beautiful thing to be reminded of the possibilities of international partnership at a time when the current mood on the world scene leans more to dividing than bringing people together.