✨ The “Horrible” Osaka Expo Experience
We all face situations that aren’t exactly positive or wholesome. We take jobs we don’t love, live through seasons that feel unsatisfying, and sometimes forget that even in those choices, there are hidden benefits — lessons we overlook or take for granted.
On this episode of We – Summit Spark Digital, we Simplified & Summited™ the much-maligned Osaka Expo.
Before going, I’d seen countless videos complaining about the impossibility of entering pavilions, the endless queues, the chaos. But I was meeting my friend and her daughters — and we decided we’d make it fun 🤩 (or at least as fun as possible when you’re told you can’t go where you want to 😅).
That was step one: letting go of expectations.
I had zero hopes of visiting the most popular pavilions. I didn’t stay up until midnight trying to win a ticket through the lottery system. I simply decided to enjoy what was available — and it worked.
We ran through the open pavilions, laughed with the girls as they raced to collect stamps (somewhere along the way, the goal shifted from learning about new countries to who gets the most stamps 😄). We waited together patiently for our entry window — surrounded by hundreds of thousands of visitors, mostly Japanese.
Interestingly, although Osaka itself was full of Western tourists, there were barely any at the Expo. Yet there was something deeply comforting about being part of this slow, orderly crowd — people quietly sharing umbrellas under the heat, staff handing them out with smiles, families rearranging their spots so others could sit together.
It was a reminder: kindness doesn’t need language.
We eventually entered the Japan Pavilion, without the hours-long lines I’d feared. Inside was a beautiful, hopeful exhibition on sustainable production that made me feel — just for a moment — that our planet still has a chance 🌏💚.
Afterward, we shared a wonderful lunch, laughing and re-energizing, and ended the day watching an elaborate water show followed by an incredible drone display that lit up the night sky.
Yes, there were still pavilions I’d love to have visited. But honestly? Being together, adapting, and finding joy despite the circumstances turned the day into a 10/10 experience.
Once again, adaptation proved the key to having a great time — and to life itself.
🧭 How are you adapting today?
🧠 Simplify & Summit™ Reflection
Expectations are optional
Letting go creates space for surprise and joy
Systems aren’t always fair
But collaboration and kindness can thrive within them
The summit isn’t a destination
It’s how you show up, even when plans change
