President Pavel opens Czech National Day at Expo Osaka

Czechia is celebrating its National Day at Expo 2025 in Osaka on Thursday. The opening ceremony, featuring the Czech and Japanese anthems performed by the Czech Radio Children’s Choir, was attended by President Petr Pavel and Japanese Princess Takamado. In his opening speech, President Pavel called Expo a space where cultures meet to explore the future together.

The president also visited the Czech pavilion, designed by Apropos Architects, which pays tribute to the Czech pavilion at the 1970 Expo in Japan. This year’s Czech Day marks 165 years since the birth of painter Alfons Mucha, represented at the event by his grandson, John Mucha. Among the highlights of the programme was the performance The Strings, featuring Cirk La Putyka, the Czech Philharmonic, the children’s choir, and singer Aiko.

Expo is held every five years in different parts of the world, and this is the second time Osaka has hosted it—the first was in 1970. This year’s edition, which began in April and runs through October, features 158 countries and seven international organizations.