Photo: Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion Agency
The Bulgarian pavilion at EXPO 2025 opened on April 13. More than 160 countries and organizations are taking part in the international exhibition in Osaka, with some 28 million visitors expected. It is on until October 13.
Deputy Prime Minister Tomislav Donchev, Bulgarian Ambassador to Japan Marieta Arabadjieva, Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion Agency Executive Director Boyko Takov, Director of the Bulgarian pavilion Georgi Kostov, Honorary Consul for Bulgaria for Osaka Yuzuru Hirano, and architect Hiroto Kobayashi, who designed Bulgaria’s pavilion, were among those present at the opening of the Bulgarian pavilion.
The national pavilion is built on the Saving Lives concept, featuring a large glass façade and an open design to fit harmoniously with Japanese culture and to highlight the idea of evolving with nature. The renowned Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto who designed the wooden ring surrounding the expo site described the Bulgarian pavilion as “clean and beautiful.”
The visitors of the Bulgarian pavilion at EXPO 2025 in Osaka associate Bulgaria mainly with yoghurt, shows a Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) survey conducted among visitors of the pavilion during the first days of the world exposition. Some of them have heard of Lactobacillus bulgaricus, the bacterium used for the production of yoghurt, which is named after Bulgaria.
"I have not heard anything about Bulgaria, except for yogurt, but I would be happy to visit," one of the Japanese visitors to the Bulgarian pavilion said. The mascot of Bulgaria's national pavilion, Lacto-chan, a character that delights visitors, is also associated with yogurt.
Other visitors described Bulgaria as "a hospitable country, part of the big European family." For most, the audio-visual presentation of the information and the interactivity were the most impressive.