The "2025 Osaka World Expo" officially kicked off earlier this month (April 13th), launching a six-month run that's drawing massive crowds and visitors from across the globe. Naturally, the international exhibits are a huge talking point.
But recently, a hilarious incident has been making waves on Japanese X (formerly Twitter). Netizens are pointing out that as you exit Yumeshima Station, the closest stop to the Expo, you'll spot an advertisement featuring Japanese actor Hiroshi Abe. What's even funnier is that many foreign tourists and staff are utterly baffled by Abe, wondering, "Is that handsome guy even Japanese?"
The tweet that sparked the discussion came from Artur, a Latvian living in Japan. He noted that right outside Yumeshima Station, on the walk to the Expo grounds, "you'll see an ad with a handsome guy (that's Hiroshi Abe) holding a bowl of super delicious rice."
The reactions from foreign visitors and staff were priceless: "Ugh, I'm so hungry now..." "Maybe I should get a rice cooker..." "Is that handsome guy Japanese?" "It's totally 'Thermae Romae'!!!" The whole scene was a chaotic, hilarious mix of comments.
Despite constantly being mistaken for having foreign heritage, Hiroshi Abe, born in Kanagawa, is 100% Japanese. However, his iconic role in the live-action "Thermae Romae" films has clearly left a lasting impression. Some netizens even joked, "Isn't that the actor from those Roman-era frescoes?" lol.
Netizens also dug up an old Italian newspaper article about ancient Romans that actually used a photo of Hiroshi Abe from "Thermae Romae"! Even the Italian journalist who wrote the piece reportedly said, "Wait, he's Japanese? I had no idea!"
If even Italians can't tell, it's no wonder foreign visitors at the Expo are confused! LOL.
Many users also pointed out that when the "Thermae Romae" movie first came out, Italians completely accepted Hiroshi Abe as an ancient Roman. Talk about universal appeal!
And of course, when you talk about Hiroshi Abe, you can't forget his lightning-fast, ultra-lightweight personal website – it's always the best way to test if your internet connection is working. Someone even quipped, "This handsome guy is basically the modern 'Japanese Roman' – healing his mind in hot springs and his body with delicious food. He's totally assimilated into Japanese culture!"
▼ Hiroshi Abe's Zojirushi rice cooker commercial.
It seems Hiroshi Abe's looks really do make foreigners wonder if he's Japanese! And with that rice cooker ad strategically placed near the Expo venue, it looks like it's definitely achieving its goal of international promotion (?).