Philippine Expo serves up friendship, flavor in Tokyo

Tokyo (Jiji Press) — The Philippine Expo 2025, an annual event dedicated to fostering friendship and goodwill between Japan and the Philippines, kicked off on Friday at Ueno Park in Tokyo.

Visitors are invited to experience the vibrant cultures of both countries through a lively showcase of food, music and festivities.

Beneath the brilliant early summer sky, the park buzzed with a festive, tropical atmosphere as attendees sampled culinary delights and enjoyed live performances. The event runs through Sunday, and admission is free.

Now in its eighth year, the Philippine Expo has been held since 2018 with the primary goal of promoting cultural exchange between Japan and the Philippines. It is organized by the Philippine Expo, a general incorporated association, with support from Japan’s Foreign Ministry, the ASEAN-Japan Centre, the Tokyo metropolitan government, and other organizations.

Organizers of this year’s event expect to welcome between 80,000 and 100,000 visitors over the three days.

Visitors to the expo can explore an array of stalls offering popular Filipino dishes such as “adobo,” a savory stew of meat and vegetables, and “taho,” a dessert made from silken tofu. In addition to gastronomic offerings, the event features unique accessories crafted from hemp and seashells.

Entertainment will take center stage on a specially constructed platform, where Japanese pop idol groups, Philippine artists and other performers will put on a variety of live shows throughout the event.

According to Japan’s Immigration Services Agency, approximately 340,000 Filipinos were living in Japan as of the end of last year. This makes them the fourth-largest group of foreign residents in the country, following Chinese, Vietnamese and South Koreans.

Nobuyuki Suzuki, head of the Philippine Expo 2025 organizing committee, said, “We hope that this event will give people opportunities to discover the fun and fascinating aspects of the Philippines.”