The ongoing Expo 2025 Osaka has become a key diplomatic and economic platform aimed at forging deep and long-term partnerships with Qatar and the broader Middle East by moving beyond traditional trade to focus on technology, sustainability, and cultural exchange.

Speaking to reporters recently, Masafumi Sugano, director of the International Office for Expo 2025 and Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI) Deputy Commissioner General, said the event has attracted diplomatic traffic, including over 300 ministerial visits and nearly 100 heads of state, government, and Royal family members, offering an unprecedented occasion for Japan to showcase its vision of a future society.

He noted that one of the main aims is converting the Expo’s global platform into business interactions designed to spur fresh trade and investments with different countries, including Gulf nations.

“It is an excellent opportunity for Japan to be able to showcase what we envision as future society and also cultural lifestyles,” Sugano noted during a recent briefing on the Expo’s policy significance.

He added that METI is utilising the high-level access provided by the Expo to align Japanese expertise directly with the economic diversification goals of Middle Eastern countries. Sugano cited previous deep discussions held with Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia (on achieving its National Vision 2030) as an example of the strategic dialogue being facilitated across various sectors, including mobility, food, and technology.

He also cited an example where a series of summits focused on fostering collaboration between Arab and Japanese creators in the gaming industry to produce interesting games.

To maximise economic outcomes for Japanese companies, Sugano said METI is implementing several concrete measures during the Expo:

Dedicated discussion forums known as “Theme Weeks” tackle specific industry topics, creating structured occasions for intensive B2B interactions.

Sugano said the Expo hosted specialised trade and investment delegations from abroad, often coinciding with National Day celebrations, ensuring that business groups and chambers of commerce from nations like Qatar have focused side meetings and visits apart from the general exhibits.

A cornerstone of Japan’s offering, and a key area for potential collaboration with Qatar, is the focus on sustainability and the circular economy, he stressed.

Beyond business and technology, Sugano said METI views the Expo as crucial for strengthening people-to-people ties—a necessity for robust, long-term relationships.

He noted that the intensive, two-to-three-year preparation process undertaken by exhibiting nations, including Qatar, Turkey, Bahrain, and Jordan, prompts Japanese and Middle Eastern teams to overcome regulatory, logistical, and language barriers.

“Through this process, these interactions in multiple levels... we managed to, the Japanese and Qatari or Middle Eastern counterparts, have managed to understand each other better and what usually is not possible," Sugano said, stressing that the engagement was “not a superficial one”.

He added that these interactions span from dignitaries meeting over coffee to collaborations among musicians and the presence of young Qatari presenters in their national pavilion, all contributing to deeper cultural understanding and confirming high-level co-operation that will lead to greater heights post-Expo.