Six months of economic influence at the heart of Osaka 2025

The French Pavilion, a showcase of French expertise, innovation and creativity, welcomed 4.5 million visitors, championing the vision of human and responsible progress, and strengthening economic, cultural and technological ties between France, Japan and the international community.

Business France mobilized all its expertise and networks to enhance the French presence and support businesses in their development in the Japanese market.

In six months, more than 400 decision-makers were supported, 12 federated delegations were formed, 93 French businesses were brought together, 114 Japanese partners were involved, and numerous conferences demonstrated the impact and collective momentum driven by the Business France Japan team.

Business France structured its efforts around three sectoral highlights:

• Innovation & Tech: Organization of missions for 19 French businesses (including seven unicorns) during the SusHi Tech Tokyo trade show and the French Tech & Innovations Days Forum at the French Pavilion, in partnership with the Ile de France region and French Tech Tokyo. These events showcased the French digital ecosystem and promoted exchanges with Japanese innovation stakeholders.

• Craftmanship & “Living Heritage Firm” label (EPV): The “French Art of Living” initiative brought together 38 businesses, including several with the “Living Heritage Firm” label, to promote French artisanal excellence to more than 700 Japanese buyers. A Franco-Japanese forum on creation and craftmanship was also organized in Osaka.

• Industry of the Future & DeepTech: An immersion program enabled 12 French businesses in the fields of DeepTech, AI, industry and CleanTech to meet Japanese prospects and benefit from exceptional visibility during the France Day at the Expo, in the presence of numerous officials.

The Gastronomy, Wines and Lifestyle sector was also given prominence with the Tastin’ France program. The latter brough together 30 French wine and spirits houses and producers in Tokyo and Osaka. More than 400 professional visitors (importers, distributors, sommeliers, buyers and journalists) participated in the events, confirming the attractiveness of the Japanese market, which is the second largest Asian market for French exports in this sector. Part of the delegation also discovered the technological and food innovations presented at the Expo. 

Several regional delegations were accompanied by Business France teams:

• Normandie: Fifteen businesses on an economic mission, B2B meetings, a seminar at the French Embassy in Japan ​​and participation in the Expo to position the region as a preferred partner in the Japanese market.

• Grand Est: Sixteen agri-food businesses on a mission to strengthen their presence in Japan, with masterclasses, tastings and buyer meetings in Tokyo and Osaka.

• Learning Expeditions: Organization of personalized visits for major French groups (Decathlon, Savencia and Bouygues) to draw inspiration from Japanese innovations and adapt their offerings to local expectations.

The World Expo also enabled Business France to increase its efforts to strengthen France’s economic attractiveness:

• Organization of institutional meetings on the France Day (September 13, 2025), in the presence of Laurent Saint-Martin (the then Minister for Foreign Trade and French Citizens Abroad), in partnership with the French Embassy in Japan and LVMH, bringing together prominent figures from the cultural and economic worlds (Léa Seydoux, Hideo Kojima and Hidetoshi Nishijima).

• Visit by Business France’s President Pascal Cagni to promote the economic attractiveness of France and engage with international institutional and economic partners.

• Support from regional delegations (Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Ile de France and Normandie) for meetings with major Japanese businesses and local economic stakeholders.

The Osaka 2025 World Expo served as a real springboard for France’s economic attractiveness and offerings. Thanks to Business France’s efforts, France was able to strengthen its ties with Japan and support the success of its businesses internationally, in a spirit of innovation, creativity and intercultural dialogue.