Expo Osaka 2025 has opened its doors, starring Made in Italy wine and agri-food

The “Rising Sun”, symbol of Japan is a very propitious sign in these times of economic crises, wars (commercial ones, too), and great uncertainty everywhere, and it is a showcase for the world's excellence, at Expo Osaka 2025, where thirty million visitors are expected. The Italian Pavilion, designed by the architect Mario Cucinella, is also on display. The pavilion is a modern interpretation of the Ideal City of the Renaissance, including a theater, porticoes, square and the Italian garden, the typical places of Italy’s urban and social identity, and centered on the theme “Art Regenerates Life”. Art, which is also food and wine, as Japan is the top most important Asian market for Italian wine & food, 1.9 billion euros in exports in 2024 (+14% compared to 2023). The most important item is processed fruit and vegetables, worth 193 million euros in value, ahead of wine (184 million euros ) and extra virgin olive oil (130 million euros). These excellent products will be in the spotlight over the next several months, like they were at 8:00 am Italian time, during the inauguration of the Pavilion for the official toast with the bubbles of Trentodoc by Ferrari Trento, which is once again confirmed the ambassador of Italian lifestyle (after filling the glasses of the official toast between the Royal Family of England and the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, recently at the Quirinale, ed.), on the opening day of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, and the unveiling of the Olympic torches.
In the Italian Pavilion, the works of art including the “Farnese Atlas”, “The Deposition” by Caravaggio, “Itō Mancio” by Tintoretto and four drawings from the “Atlantic Code” by Leonardo da Vinci, will be accompanied by traditional Italian cuisine, entrusted to Eataly, which will manage the Italian Pavilion restaurant overlooking the terrace and the Italian garden, until October 13, 2025. The star players will be “the local specialty dishes and the Italian food culture that from North to South, make a trip to Italy unique. The schedule includes regional menus, workshops and educational activities on nutrition and local products”, Eataly explained. We have worked very hard because we feel it is a big responsibility to represent the food and wine traditions of our Country in the best possible way”, Andrea Cipolloni, CEO of Eataly, commented, “the next 6 months will be very intense, and we will be promoting the passion for Italian food around the world by creating a virtual journey through the Italian Regions. It is an ambitious program, created by our working group in collaboration with the General Commissioner for Italy at Expo 2025 Osaka”. “Bringing the authentic flavors of our Regions to Expo 2025 Osaka means telling the story of Italy through one of its most recognizable and beloved cultural expressions, food”, Ambassador Mario Vattani, General Commissioner for Italy at Expo 2025 Osaka, said. “The Italian Pavilion offers visitors a gastronomic journey combining tradition, quality and territorial identity”. In the meantime, regarding current events, the messages we have been hearing from the Land of the Rising Sun are giving hope to improve on o ne of the biggest issues keeping the world’s economies in turmoil, as well as the Made in Italy agri-food sector, namely the tariff war. This issue will be at the center, at least for the US EU axis, during the Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni’s visit to American President Donald Trump, scheduled for April 17th at the White House. In a less heated climate than a few days ago, as Antonio Tajani, Minister of Foreign Affairs, in Osaka, underlined, “I believe the situation is slowly improving. Meloni's trip is not to play an Italian game, nor to undermine European unity. The European Union counts on her support to push in the direction of a negotiation, and not a trade war”.