Youth Ambassador Represents Longhorns, U.S. at Osaka World Expo

For more than 150 years, the World Expo has enabled nations to showcase innovations, culture, and solutions to global issues, bringing together people with diverse backgrounds from across the world.  

The 2025 iteration of the quadrennial event took place in Osaka, Japan, from April to October. Featuring the theme “Designing Future Society for Our Lives,” the celebration drew more than 29 million visitors during the span of those months. Among those attendees acting as the “faces” of their countries was Longhorn alum Anna Esaka (BBA ’24, marketing), who served a U.S. Department of State Youth Ambassador for the USA Pavilion.  

A Love for Learning Abroad  

Throughout her time at The University of Texas at Austin, Esaka gained rich academic and personal experiences that influenced her decision to spend six months in Japan as a World Expo ambassador.  

A stint studying in France first inspired Esaka to travel abroad, which then led her to spend two summers in Denmark as a teaching assistant under Professor Jessica Ciarla for a sustainable fashion class; complete a May Term led by Professor Hiro Tanaka in South Korea; and participate in the Global Career Launch: Faculty-Driven program in Japan, led by Professor David Eaton.  

The GCL: Faculty-Driven program allows students to experience work cultures abroad and build a global network to support professional growth, either by working virtually or traveling abroad. Through GCL: Faculty-Driven, Esaka interned for the Government of Japan’s Ministry of the Environment, where she encouraged voluntary carbon market usage in Japanese domestic companies, also proposing and implementing the use of marketing research and data visualization platforms.  

Esaka said she enjoyed exploring new environments and countries because it forced her to learn about herself.  

“I was pretty hesitant about ever [taking] any opportunity abroad, and I always thought I would go back to Texas and start a job there. But doing that last internship in Japan made me really consider an opportunity abroad; I was sad thinking about my post-grad life having no abroad opportunities, since that was such a big, pivotal part of my University experience,” Esaka said.  

Broadening Topical Horizons  

Along the way, Esaka also demonstrated a strong interest and commitment to entrepreneurship by taking part in the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative and Kendra Scott Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership Institute (KSWELI), as well as working with AI startups in Hiroshima University’s peace and AI program.  

With KSWELI, she began as a student board member and finished as the student board vice president for professional development, where she executed monthly workshops for more than 250 students and served as liaison for the alumni board. 

While earning her BBA in marketing, Esaka pursued a women’s and gender studies minor and a Japanese certificate, as well as the conflict prevention, management and resolution track under the Bridging Disciplines Program.  

“Each time, I tried to pursue an opportunity that was really different from my studies, so that I could be exposed to another area that I normally wouldn’t have,” Esaka said. “Even in Japan right now, I'm focused on doing [work that’s] more on the women’s and gender studies side ... I didn’t know if I could make a career out of it, but now I’m doing a program for women in Japan to create digital literacy skills.” 

Representing the U.S. on a Global Stage 

As an ambassador, Esaka’s main duties at the World Expo involved helping operate the USA Pavilion — which included several rooms and programs showcasing the nation’s history and connection with the rest of the world — and conversing with visitors. 

Among the rooms was the Cube of Imagination (nicknamed the “Rocket Room” by guests), which featured a NASA rocket liftoff simulation, future space tech displays and a lunar sample viewing. She said attendees enjoyed visiting the USA Pavilion for its fun and exciting atmosphere.  

“We had to act like ourselves as Americans because that’s also part of the attraction: to show what Americans are like,” Esaka said. “[Even] if you couldn’t speak Japanese, a lot of people want to have conversations about the pavilion or your experiences as an American. ... [People were] so enthusiastic and wanted to practice their English.”  

Esaka’s experience included memorable moments such as taking part in a guided tour for former Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, sharing the innovation stage with K-pop group NCT, and interacting with guests. She met people who attended the last Osaka Expo in 1970, especially appreciating the conversations she shared with them, since her Japanese grandparents had also attended that event.  

“So many people came up to us, saying [the USA pavilion] was their best experience that day. It was really special to make people’s days,” Esaka said. “It was also fun to informally meet Americans from all over and hear about their experiences. And there are so many people who were first-time travelers, or even first-time in Japan, so it was eye-opening to talk about our different experiences and what we took away from the expo.” 

As one of many Longhorns representing the U.S., Esaka said she also formed friendships with other ambassadors from UT and has remained in touch with them.  

“I would meet a whole bunch of [Longhorns] in the crowd. Whenever someone saw a person wearing burnt orange, people would radio for me, and I would come running out to meet them,” Esaka said. “It was really cool to talk about their backgrounds and my UT experience.” 

Advice for Aspiring Ambassadors  

For those interested in serving as World Expo youth ambassadors, Esaka said the criteria for an “ideal candidate” changes each time the event is held. She advises applicants to know their own standout qualities because the recruiters, who look for representation across every U.S state, choose applicants for their individuality.  

“They want to show just how expansive America is — because, at the end of the day, we are in a front-facing role to Japan. So, what do you want to show to the Japanese crowd?” Esaka said. “You want to show how different Americans can be in all our different life experiences. We’re all Americans, but it’s crazy how different we are based on what state or region we grew up in.” 

Esaka said her participation in the ambassador program helped her develop skills that she now applies toward her current role as Japan’s lead representative for the Digital Skills for Women (DS4W). She oversees digital marketing and project management programs for the organization, which aims to help underserved women in Japan advance their specialized technical knowledge and pursue careers in the tech industry.  

“The ambassador position gives you a lot more confidence in speaking to a whole bunch of different people. You learn to navigate and put yourself out there — not just because you’re in a front-facing role but [also because] you meet so many different people from around the world,” Esaka said. “You build that confidence to communicate with anyone and find a connection. In that way, it’s really beneficial for any career.”