Uruguay captivates Japan with meat, wine, and candombe at Expo Osaka 2025

At the elegant Grand Prince Hotel in Osaka Bay, and within the framework of the Osaka 2025 World Expo, where Uruguay celebrated its National Day, more than 100 attendees—including business leaders, authorities, and representatives from more than 20 countries—participated in a business meeting that focused on the quality, sustainability, and traceability of Uruguayan products.

The event was led by the Minister of Livestock, Agriculture, and Fisheries, Alfredo Fratti, who highlighted the country's strength as a reliable supplier of high-quality food, with a strong commitment to sustainable development and international cooperation.

The event was co-organized by Uruguay XXI, the National Meat Institute (INAC), and the National Wine Institute (INAVI), through the sectoral brands Uruguay Beef and Uruguay Wine. In this context, business opportunities in two key sectors of Uruguay's agro-export model were highlighted: meat and wine.

“Our value proposition lies in differentiated quality, sustainability, and innovation. Uruguay is a world leader in natural, traceable, and responsible production,” said Fratti to an audience eager to learn more about the country's competitive advantages.

Meat and wine: ambassadors of excellence

The highlight of the meeting was a high-level gastronomic experience with a menu that included premium cuts of beef exported to Japan, such as tenderloin, flank steak, and beef tongue, prepared by expert grill chefs Jean Carlos Oyano and Koichi Miyashita. The latter product, beef tongue, marked a milestone as it was recently incorporated into the demanding Japanese market.

The tasting was accompanied by a careful selection of more than 20 Uruguayan wines from the national wineries Santa Rosa, Compañía Uruguaya de Vinos de Mar, Familia Deicas, Garzón, Familia Traversa, Spinoglio, Cerro Chapeu, Finca Las Violetas, Bracco Bosca, Castillo Viejo, Bouza, Mederos, and Pisano. These wines, ranging from the emblematic Tannat to varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Albariño, and Pinot Noir, were the perfect pairing for the flavors of Uruguayan beef.

Both products represent a synthesis of the Uruguayan agro-export model: natural beef raised in open pastures without hormones or antibiotics, and wines that are traced and georeferenced and have received prestigious international awards.

With more than 93% of its land suitable for agriculture and supplying 30 million people worldwide with safe, nutritious, and sustainable food, Uruguay is positioned as a reliable global player in food processing. This is backed by full traceability of livestock and viticulture, respect for the environment, and technological innovation.

Music and culture to close with identity

Beyond the commercial sphere, the celebration was also a powerful cultural expression. Uruguayan music and dance took the stage with a vibrant performance by the Quinteto Barrio Sur, led by Grammy winner Hugo Fattoruso and Albana Barrocas. They were accompanied by candombe icons Mathías Silva, Wellington Silva, and Guillermo Díaz Silva, along with Japanese percussionist Tomohiro Yahiro and dancers Liz Aguirre and Naomi Kromberg, members of the award-winning Cuareim 1080 dance troupe.

“It is an honor and a responsibility to be here,” said Fattoruso. Mathías Silva, a drummer from a long line of drummers and director of Cuareim 1080, confessed that performing in Japan was “a lifelong dream come true.”

Uruguay's participation in Expo Osaka 2025 was a clear demonstration of its ability to combine productive competitiveness with a strong cultural identity. Through its meat, wines, and music, the country presented itself as a reliable partner with a value proposition based on quality, sustainability, and innovation.