Earlier this year, the Irish Government announced Ireland’s participation in Expo Osaka 2025 in Japan. This event is expected to attract 28 million enthusiasts from diverse backgrounds, inviting them to explore all that Ireland has to offer, including its Halloween legacy.

Taking place from April 13 to October 13 next year, the expo promises to be a landmark occasion for cultural exchange. The theme is ‘Creativity Connects People,’ and it aims to provide insight into Irish culture through craftsmanship. The event will showcase the winners of the 2025 BT Young Scientist competition as well as a special TG4 Gradham Ceoil concert, illustrating how imagination is essential to human progress and empowers people of all ages to live fulfilling lives.

There will additionally be a Halloween festival celebrating the Emerald Isle as the ‘Home of Halloween,’ emphasising the creative spirit that infuses Irish culture. While Halloween is a major holiday in Japan, many are unfamiliar with its Irish origins and the connection to Bram Stoker, an Irish native and the author of Dracula.

Stoker will be the centre point of Ireland’s Halloween programme, which involves partnerships with the Bram Stoker Festival, Dublin City Council, Macnas, and Fáilte Ireland. This celebration will bring Halloween to life and showcase customs like Samhain, which is believed to blur the line between the living and the spirit world, enabling visitors to appreciate the festival’s historical and cultural significance.

The expo will serve as a vibrant platform for cultural dialogue between Ireland and Japan. Through the lens of Halloween, visitors will explore the rich tapestry of Irish history, discovering how the festival honours ancient traditions while fostering creativity and community.

At the launch event in Iveagh House, Dublin, Tánaiste Micheál Martin highlighted the gathering’s role in strengthening connections in Osaka. He stated, “Together with our Embassy, Ireland’s trade and investment promotion agencies – IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, Bord Bia, and Tourism Ireland – we will leverage the opportunities presented by Expo 2025 to promote Ireland as a great country to visit, invest in, study, and trade.”