The Pilsen Region will be one of three Czech regions presented at the World Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan. As part of the Pilsen Region Days held at the turn of August and September 2025, the region will support the Pilsen Philharmonic and include selected high school students from the Pilsen Region who will travel to Osaka under the regional project DRESS UP & STAY HOME. The aim is to enhance the region's reputation and to develop contacts in the fields of culture, business, innovation, and education.
The theme and overall concept of this year's Expo 2025 OSAKA, KANSAI, JAPAN seeks to inspire visitors to reflect on how they want to live and how they can maximize their personal potential. Sub-themes will focus on saving lives, empowering life, and connecting lives. The chosen main theme and its sub-themes offer the Czech Republic a unique opportunity to strengthen its reputation in Japan and beyond, and to showcase the talents and creativity of its people.
“Pilsen Region must be a part of this,“ says Governor of the Pilsen Region Kamal Farhan, adding, „We want to show the world not only the strength and potential of the Pilsen Region, but also bring back new impulses, inspiration, and experience. I am proud of what our region can offer — from the cultural wealth of the Pilsen Philharmonic, innovations and traditions of our companies, to the talent and ideas of our students. I believe Expo 2025 will help us expand not only our business connections but also bring new energy to the development of the Pilsen Region.”
Pilsen Region at Expo 2025
The Pilsen Region is actively participating in Expo 2025 as one of the few regions with its own program in the Czech Pavilion. The Pilsen Region Days will take place from 2 to 7 September 2025 at Expo 2025 in Osaka. The interactive program will feature, among other things, a performance by the Pilsen Philharmonic, whose travel and performance are supported by the Pilsen Region.
„Presenting the Pilsen Region at the World Expo is a great opportunity to expand our cultural diplomacy and strengthen the region’s brand awareness abroad. I believe we will not only provide cultural experiences, but also establish new contacts that will enrich our cultural institutions and tourism. Expo is a place of inspiration, and we want to be an active part of it,” says Libor Picka, Regional Councilor for Culture, Heritage Care and Tourism.
Under the motto Experience the Pilsen Region Firsthand, visitors to Expo 2025 will be able to taste Pilsner beer, regional culinary specialties, and discover both well-known and lesser-known tourist destinations across the region.
High School Students from the Pilsen Region to Visit Expo 2025 as Part of the DRESS UP & STAY HOME Educational Program
The Pilsen Region is launching a unique educational program called DRESS UP & STAY HOME, aiming to systematically support the region's development through the global personal experiences of regional high school students.
School and Student Involvement in the Program
Currently, 35 high schools from across the Pilsen Region are involved. From these, 69 students aged 17–18, meeting a minimum B2 level of English, have been selected. These students will represent the region at selected international events and will subsequently help transfer their new experiences back to the local community.
During a 14-day study trip to Japan, students will not only attend a four-day excursion to Expo 2025 in Osaka, but also visit the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (Miraikan) in Tokyo, the headquarters of Japanese companies operating in the region, Japanese schools, and take a Shinkansen ride from Tokyo to Osaka.
„Our goal is to cultivate a generation of young people who can understand the world in broader contexts, think globally, and act locally for the benefit of our region. Participation in major international events like Expo 2025 enables them to gain inspiration, experience, and new contacts. These stimuli will then be transferred back to the Pilsen Region to support innovation, strengthen community life, and improve quality of life for all of us. We believe this approach will help us build a prosperous and competitive region that can succeed globally while preserving its unique values,” says Deputy Governor for Education and Sports, Vladimír Kroc. He added that the Pilsen Region invested CZK 8 million in the project.
Expo 2025 and the Czech Republic’s Participation
The Czech Republic is taking part in the World Expo for the sixth time as an independent state. Since September 2022, Ondřej Soška has served as the General Commissioner, having won the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' tender with his concept and theme „Talent and Creativity for Life.” At Expo 2025 in Osaka, the Czech Republic will showcase not only what is already well-known and admired in Japan — such as Czech glass and classical music — but also innovations, nanotechnologies, and regional talents. The most prominent exhibit is the Czech pavilion itself.
About 100 companies and approximately 200 artists will present at the Expo from April to October, including the Pilsen Philharmonic as a key musical ensemble.
The Czech Pavilion at Expo 2025
The pavilion’s design — a glass spiral — was the result of an open architectural competition won in March 2023 by Apropos Architects. The main structure uses modern wooden CLT panels, while the facade is made of artistic glass, a craft with centuries of tradition in the Czech Republic. The national pavilion provides a dignified space for Czech participation in Expo 2025, held from April to October 2025 on the artificial island of Yumeshima in Osaka Bay. Cultural performances take place almost every weekend from Friday to Sunday. The pavilion was officially approved in early April 2025 and is the largest wooden building of its kind in Japan without a metal frame. It opened to the public on April 13, 2025.