Austria meets Japan! Special Hello Kitty PEZ for the World Expo 2025 in Osaka-Japan...

Today, we have prepared something truly 

special for you once again. 

We are delighted to give you an exclusive First Look at a

 fantastic new PEZ dispenser.

However, to give you deeper insight into the 

story, origins, and facts surrounding this special 

PEZ dispenser, we need to take a step back.

 Expo 2025 – Osaka-Kansai, Japan

The World Expo 2025 will take place from April 13, 2025, 

to October 13, 2025, in Osaka-Kansai, Japan. 

The central theme of the Expo is 

"Designing Future Society for Our Lives."

What is a World Expo?

A World Expo, is an international event where

 countries and global organizations showcase their 

latest innovations, developments, and achievements.

The concept of a World Expo was born out of a

 desire to present a nation’s industrial progress

 and technological advancements to the world. 

The first Expo was held in 1851 in London and 

featured a wide range of groundbreaking inventions, 

including the first typewriter, the first toothbrush, 

and the first steam locomotive.

How is a host city selected?

The host city was chosen on November 23, 2018,
by the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE). 

Competing bids came from 

Yekaterinburg (Russia), Baku (Azerbaijan), Osaka (Japan)

and Paris (France).

Why Osaka, Japan?
On November 22, 2016, France submitted 
Paris as a candidate for Expo 2025 to the BIE. 
This triggered the official bidding process, 
giving other cities six months to submit their proposals. 
The deadline for applications closed on May 22, 2017, 
with four candidates:

• Japan – Osaka

• Azerbaijan – Baku

• Russia – Yekaterinburg

• France – Paris

However, France withdrew its bid on January 21,
 2018, citing financial concerns.

During the 164th BIE General Assembly on 

November 23, 2018, Osaka won the bid in the

 second round of voting. In the first round, Baku 

was eliminated with only 23 votes, 

while Osaka received 85 votes and Yekaterinburg 48 votes.

 In the final round, Osaka triumphed with 92 votes

 to Yekaterinburg’s 61

Incredible Facts About the World Expo 2025

The 155-hectare Expo site is located on the artificial Yumeshima Island, 10 kilometers from downtown Osaka.

This is Osaka’s second World Expo, following the Expo 1970.

158 countries are participating, with around 40 countries building their own pavilions.

Over 28 million visitors are expected, along with participation from 
158+ countries and 25 international organizations.

Austria Meets Japan

As Austria’s fourth-largest overseas market and second-most 
important trade partner in Asia (after China), 
Japan’s role as the host of Expo 2025 holds great 
significance for Austria.

The Expo is more than just an event—it is a unique
 opportunity to strengthen Austria’s outstanding 
relations with Japan in the fields of business, science, and culture.

Austria’s Contribution – "Composing the Future"

Music serves as a bridge between 
Austrian and Japanese culture. 

Austrian classical music is particularly beloved in Japan. 

That’s why Austria’s pavilion at Expo 2025 embraces a musical interpretation of the Expo’s theme 
"Designing Future Society for Our Lives"—
under the slogan 
"Composing the Future."

Austrian Pavilion at the Osaka 2025 World Expo, picture from Bundesministerium Arbeit und Wirtschaft

The Austrian Pavilion, part of the 
"Empowering Lives" segment, features a 
visually spectacular spiral wooden sculpture that, 
upon closer inspection, reveals itself to be a 

giant musical staff. 

This design serves as both the highlight and 
guiding element of the exhibition.

The centerpiece of the pavilion is the Dome of the Future, 

where visitors can engage with the concept 

of the future through interactive elements. 

Guests influence the exhibition’s content and contribute

 to an AI-generated visual and auditory experience.

In line with the theme "Composing the Future,

" this futuristic composition emphasizes that 

Austria offers more than just music and culture,

it presents itself as a diverse, modern nation that 

respects its traditions while embracing innovation

More info can be found here.

Left: Super rare Austrian Advantage PEZ Mascot from 2024 (not available anymore, all habe been given out, Right; new 2024 Hello Kitty Austria Expo 2025 Mascot

WKO - AUSTRIA & PEZ 

This marks the second special PEZ dispenser created for Japan.

After PEZ produced the red, white, and red PEZ mascot 

with the Advantage Austria logo on the stem for the 

Austrian Economic Chamber’s China Connect 2024 event 

last year in a super limited edition, and only a few 

of these dispensers made it into collections, 

another special dispenser is now coming.

(you can read more about it here.)

For the current World Expo, 

PEZ and the Austrian Economic Chamber have 

come up with something truly special. 

The 

Hello Kitty 

PEZ dispenser was chosen, 

as Hello Kitty has conquered the world from 

Japan over 50 years ago. 

The colors, with the red bow, white head, and red stem,

 reflect the national colors of Austria, making this 

dispenser the perfect symbol to connect Austria and Japan.

The "Austria Composing the Future" print on the
 stem perfectly complements the slogan 
for the expo. 
A special compliment also goes to Sanrio, the licensor 
of Hello Kitty, for enabling this special version.

The dispenser will definitely be available at the 
Austrian Pavilion at the expo, and with 
10,000 dispensers being produced, 
hopefully, more of them will find their way into

 collections this time.

 We can already see some PEZ collectors 

looking for flights to Osaka, and surely some of our Japanese 

PEZ friends will also make their way to Osaka.

We wish all exhibitors, participants and visitors a lot 

of fun and success at the expo.

Happy Collecting!

Austria PEZ over the years. Thank you Momo for the pictures.