MIC – Asunción, Paraguay, April 23, 2025, – A small South American country with vast hydro-power resources and a vibrant Guaraní-Spanish culture is packing its bags for Japan. From 13 April to 13 October 2025, Paraguay will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with 150-plus nations at the Universal Exposition in Osaka. It has chosen a theme that mixes Japanese philosophy with local ambition: “Ikigai Paraguay – Energy that Connects.” The branding, developed by the Ministry of Information and Communication Technologies (MITIC), aims to summarise in one phrase how the country’s renewable energy, talent and warmth can plug into the wider world.
Why Osaka 2025 Matters
World expos are more than photo-ops. Osaka 2025 is expected to draw roughly 28 million visitors over six months. It is an audience larger than Australia’s entire population. For Paraguay, whose exports still lean heavily on commodities, that influx represents a rare chance to pitch everything from clean energy projects to yerba-mate culture in one high-traffic venue.
What Paraguay Plans To Show
- A 53 m² pavilion. Small by expo standards, yet designed, according to the inter-agency working group led by MITIC, as an “immersive walk-through” featuring audiovisual storytelling, live craft demonstrations and a tasting corner for national products.
- Clean-energy narrative. The country generates almost 100 % of its electricity from hydropower. Planners say the stand will highlight binational dams such as Itaipú and future green-hydrogen projects as proof Paraguay can power data centres or green-industrial partners abroad.
- Cultural crossover. Folkloric bottle dancers and harp trios are slated for pop-up stages on 19 May, bringing Paraguayan rhythms to Osaka’s bay area.
Osaka 2025: The Business Angle
Speaking at the launch ceremony in Asunción, Javier Viveros, vice-minister at REDIEX (the Network of Investments and Exports), called the expo a “gateway to the Pacific economy.” Paraguay’s trade balance with Japan tells the story: imports top USD 100 million a year, while exports hover near USD 50 million. Closing that gap, Viveros argued, will depend on landing Japanese partners in logistics, forestry, specialty foods and advanced manufacturing.
Reading Between The Lines
Politicians often speak of “putting Paraguay on the map,” yet market analysts note that visibility alone will not seal deals. What could?
- Certainty. Investors will look for concrete policy on renewable-energy certificates and long-term land-use rules.
- Last-mile logistics. River ports give Paraguay an edge in moving soy and beef, but tech hardware or pharmaceuticals demand faster, cooler routes.
- People-to-people ties. The local Nikkei community – descendants of Japanese immigrants — already provides linguistic and cultural bridges. Leveraging that network may matter as much as flashy LED walls.
A Moment Of Honest Optimism
Will a 53-square-metre booth really tilt the trade needle? Maybe not overnight. But expos are memory factories: a well-told story can stick with a buyer or tourist long after the headlines fade. As Paraguay’s planners put it, “energy that connects” is not only about megawatts; it is about the spark that jumps when cultures meet face-to-face. In a world jostling for attention, that human spark may be the scarcest commodity of all.
Paraguay is participating in many expositions worldwide to boost its economy and diversify. Furthermore, in the country, multiple events are also organised to put business, economy, and entrepreneurship at the front of the matter, such as the Emprende Fest.
Picture Source: MIC
