What is Osaka’s brand? One of Japan’s largest cities, it is mainly known for comedy and street food, that wisecracking cousin to all-business Tokyo and elegant Kyoto. In hosting a world expo for the second time, though, Osaka would like to be taken more seriously, particularly when it comes to art.
Osaka International Art, an invite-only three-day art fair organized by Osaka Prefecture, Osaka City and the Osaka Culture and Arts Project Executive Committee opened May 31. The private sector is also launching bigger projects, with the Shinsaibashi Parco department store holding its inaugural Kansai Art Annual 2025 exhibition to showcase emerging artists from the area, and interior design brands Muji and Idee debuting Life in Art Osaka Artscapes 2025, which is modeled after last year’s Tokyo Artscapes. All three projects are collaborating or associated with Osaka Art and Design (OAD), a multivenue event taking place from May 28 to June 24.
“Of course, we had the Expo in mind when planning this a few years ago,” says general producer Akio Aoki, adding that OAD started in 2023. He says this is a time of “overlap of many different countries, cultures and people that will gather in the city,” a nod to the project’s theme of “overlap.”
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