From 10 to 12 June 2025, Turismo de Portugal will be staging a programme in Osaka to promote Portugal based on our culture. The programme celebrates art, music, literature and gastronomy, along with the launch of a digital campaign in the Japanese market, featuring “Umi", Portugal's mascot at the world exhibition.
On Portugal Day (10 June), the highlight will be the inauguration of the installation Oceano de Poesia (“Ocean of Poetry"), which will feature “Vertical Poems" by Portuguese authors, inspired by the Japanese tradition of using poems as decorative elements. This exhibition is part of the ongoing international promotion of Literary Tourism, which suggests discovering Portugal through the words and landscapes that inspire its writers. Photographs of the whole country, from north to south and including the islands, will be exhibited, along with excerpts from works by Luís de Camões, Mariana Alcoforado, Fernando Pessoa, Camilo Castelo Branco, Eça de Queiroz, Dulce Maria Cardoso and José Luís Peixoto. On the occasions of the 500th anniversary of Camões and the Bicentennial of Camilo Castelo Branco, the goal is to put Portugal firmly on the map of literary destinations and to exalt the Portuguese language and its writers.
The monumental sculpture A Janela (“The Window"), by ADD FUEL will also be inaugurated. It promises to be one of the central elements of the Portuguese presence at Expo 2025 Osaka. Standing some two metres tall and covered with traditional hand-painted tiles from the historic Viúva Lamego Factory, this work combines tradition and modernity, integrating elements of the Japanese graphic universe and the contemporary aesthetics of the Portuguese creator. It also invites visitors to interact with the piece, which simultaneously functions as a work of art, a photographic space and a symbolic and cultural meeting point between Portugal and Japan. An iconic element of Portuguese culture, the azulejo is a symbol of creativity and craftsmanship, and one of the most powerful visual vectors of our identity. By reinterpreting it in a contemporary way and integrating it into a piece of public art on an international stage, Portugal asserts art as a differentiating asset of national tourism, demonstrating how tradition can inspire innovation and generate memorable experiences for visitors.
Also on the 10th of June, fado singer Carminho will take the stage at the National Hall, in a unique moment that will be a true celebration of Portuguese identity. Following the success of her recent tour, where she performed to sold-out audiences in the main Japanese cities, Carminho returns to a country where fado is highly appreciated and felt.
The day ends with a striking brand activation in Osaka city centre, marking the launch of an ambitious digital advertising campaign for Portugal in Japan. The venue for the start of the campaign is one of the most iconic facades in the city centre, where a 3D animation of "Umi", Portugal's mascot at Expo Osaka, will be on show, inviting passers-by to visit Portugal.
The campaign also extends to over 300 digital screens in strategically located high-traffic areas in Osaka and Tokyo, including squares and public transport stations, expecting more than 3 million impressions over two weeks, where culture and gastronomy will be the main focus in promoting Portugal as a tourist destination.
The celebrations will continue on the 11th of June, with a special edition of "Tea at Five", a regular initiative of the Pavilion of Portugal that highlights Portugal's historical role in introducing tea to Europe and subsequently in consumption habits. It will also be an opportunity to promote Portuguese ceramics and porcelain through the Vista Alegre brand. In this special edition, Portuguese tea will be accompanied by a tasting of pão de ló (a traditional Portuguese sponge-type cake) and castella, its Japanese version. Chef Paulo Duarte, from the Castella do Paulo pastry shop in Kyoto, will be present at the event, offering a combination of Portuguese sweets and the traditional Japanese castella.
Lastly, on the 12th of June, it will be the turn of Portuguese gastronomy to take centre stage. Chef Vasco Coelho Santos will be traveling from northern Portugal to Osaka for a cultural meeting at table with Chef Koji Azuma. A dialogue of flavours will bring together talent, tradition and innovation from distant geographies, but which reveal many affinities.
The CHI-FU restaurant (1* MICHELIN), in Osaka, hosts chef Vasco Coelho Santos from Euskalduna Studio Restaurant (1* MICHELIN) in Porto, for a meeting between two gastronomic cultures that possess a unique culinary richness and identity. Chef Vasco Coelho Santos will pay tribute to his region, with dishes that evoke typical flavours from Northern Portugal, reinterpreted with a contemporary flair. Alongside his creations, there will be dishes created by Chef Koji Azuma, who hosts the prestigious Japanese restaurant inspired by Chinese cuisine and is recognised for his contemporary and creative approach to Asian cuisine. The menu will be paired with selected Portuguese wines, presented by Beppu, CHI-FU's resident sommelier, reinforcing the intersection between gastronomy and oenology in this unique experience.
As part of the promotion strategy outlined for the market, Turismo de Portugal will develop a set of initiatives to take place over the course of the entire Expo Osaka event, culminating in September with a roadshow that will bring together Portuguese and Japanese companies in a unique opportunity for networking and for promoting Portugal as a benchmark tourist destination.
