2025 is the year of Osaka.

Cover photo: Digital rendering of Yumeshima (“Dream Island”), site for World Expo 2025 in Osaka. Via Nikkei (cropped).

Digital rendering of the wooden Grand Ring, designed by Sou Fujimoto (藤本壮介) for World Expo 2025 in Osaka. Via the Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau (color-corrected and cropped).

Intro

Japan’s popularity continues to grow, with 2025 likely to set new records for foreign tourist arrivals. The country will offer many unique art festivals and events this year. Most notably, the city of Osaka will host World Expo 2025, an international exhibition of cutting-edge technology and design.

In anticipation of the World Expo, the city of Osaka has seen many changes within the last few years, including the partial opening of Grand Green Osaka and Umekita Park, a major mixed-use development nearby Osaka Station. Japan’s first Waldorf Astoria hotel will open next spring.

Overall, it appears Japan’s major post-COVID changes have settled down. While higher labor and material costs have delayed multiple projects, the nationwide hotel boom continues, buoyed by tourist demand and foreign investment.

Katana Marketing group unveils Junglia theme park, with CEO Tsuyoshi Morioka (森岡毅) in the center, Tokyo, Japan (2023). Via Atonavi Magazine (cropped).

Highlights

2025’s most exciting new attraction is Junglia, a nature theme park in northern Okinawa, expected to open in the summer. The project is led by Tsuyoshi Morioka (森岡毅), the businessman credited with saving Universal Studios Japan. The park will feature exciting rides and resort accommodations.

Development trends include arenas, art museums, and commercial centers. Several cities have new stadium projects for event hosting. IG Arena will be the new home to the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament, annually held in July.

Japan’s least populous prefecture will see the Tottori Prefectural Museum of Art open in local capital Kurayoshi. The Yokohama Museum of Art will have a grand reopening in February and the long-awaited Edo-Tokyo Museum is also expected to finally reopen after extensive renovations.

Other exciting projects include an Edo-themed commercial park at a castle town near Mount Fuji, Hanakouji Kofu, the Iga Ninja Experience Facility in Mie, and the opening of the scenic Kurobe Unazuki Canyon Route in Toyama, which will make sightseeing in the famous canyon gorge easier and more convenient.

Visitors admire a Tyrannosaurus rex animatronic at the newly-renovated Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum in Katsuyama, Fukui, Japan (2023). Photo by Danny With Love.

Recommendations

As visitors in Japan continue to grow, “overtourism” is a trending topic. Travel guide company Fodor’s suggests tourists avoid Kyoto and Tokyo altogether. While I personally think this is a bit extreme, I do suggest exploring other parts of Japan. My top three recommendations for 2025 are Kobe, Fukuoka, and Fukui (ordered by season). All three cities offer a myriad of new attractions, infrastructure improvements, and a variety of activities.

World-famous for marbled beef, Kobe is one of the biggest cities in the Kansai Region. 2025 marks the 30th anniversary of the Great Hanshin Earthquake, commemorated by winter illumination event Kobe Luminarie. Landmark Kobe Port Tower reopened last year, offering impressive views of the historic port and waterside events center Glion Arena Kobe will open in April. Kobe offers convenient access to nearby Osaka, the hot springs of Arima Onsen, and UNESCO World Heritage site Himeji Castle!

Fukuoka — Japan’s fastest-growing city — will see the opening of event center Fukuoka Civic Hall and new landmark One Fukuoka Building this spring. Fukuoka International Airport is also unveiling an additional international terminal. The largest city on the island of Kyushu, Fukuoka offers access to historic Nagasaki and the famous hot springs of Beppu Onsen. Don’t miss Hakata Gion Yamakasa Festival in July!

I also recommend Fukui, a prefecture rediscovered thanks to the new Hokuriku Shinkansen (bullet train) extension. Just one train ride from Tokyo, Fukui is home to Japan’s largest dinosaur museum, Zen temple Eiheiji, and the medieval ruins of Ichijo Valley. In 2024, the Fukui Station area unveiled major renovations including dinosaur animatronics and eateries. New bus tours make sightseeing easier than ever. Don’t miss fresh Echizen crab season in the fall!

Nationwide List

For more attractions, please refer to the list below, which includes new sites in all 47 prefectures opened in 2024 and opening in 2025. This is a list of places I find noteworthy, not a comprehensive list. Some sites listed as opened in 2024 are opening in December. Please refer to my article from last year for more new attractions in Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto, and Osaka.