[Expo MC Report] Vanuatu – Nerves, Laughter, and a Warm Connection

2025/07/31 2025/08/06

admin-mc

Hello, I’m Rie Sasaki, a bilingual MC based in Japan.

On July 30th, I had the pleasure of co-hosting the Vanuatu National Day at Expo 2025 Osaka as part of a double MC team with a local Vanuatu representative.

The event was a beautiful celebration of cultural exchange, with a rich and heartfelt program.
There were traditional performances from Vanuatu, an English presentation by Japanese elementary school students and teachers with ties to Vanuatu, and even a live performance of Satsuma Biwa, a Japanese intangible cultural property from Kagoshima.

The local MC I worked with wasn’t a professional host—in fact, he was a designer by trade, and had only been asked to MC the day before.
He initially declined, but with no one else available, he bravely agreed to take it on.

From the moment he arrived, he was visibly nervous, sweating heavily and anxiously pacing around backstage.
I’m not a seasoned veteran myself, but I was touched that he leaned on me so much. I tried to support him however I could—offering positive words, light conversation, and encouragement to ease the tension before we went on stage.

What really made me smile was what happened during the show.
Although he seemed overwhelmed on stage, the moment the traditional Vanuatu dance started, I spotted him cheerfully dancing along backstage!
That moment made me laugh and helped ease my own nerves too.

As the program went on, he gradually began to relax.
Between segments, we started exchanging high fives as he came off stage—a small but meaningful sign that he was gaining confidence.

Since it was a double MC, I was mindful not to have both of us looking down at our scripts at the same time.
When he was speaking, I kept my eyes on the audience and made sure to stay present and smiling.

I also applied something I’d recently learned from a senior MC:

“You don’t have to speak perfectly. What matters most is speaking with passion.”
That advice has really stayed with me, and I’ve been trying to embody it more and more.
I’m still learning, but I do feel that my skills are slowly but surely growing, thanks to these opportunities.

What truly made my day was what the Vanuatu MC said to me after the event:

“Thank you Rie for your help today. You made it so much easier!”

Hosting solo definitely comes with its own pressures,
but double MC events have a special kind of joy—being able to connect, support, and create something meaningful together across cultures.

This experience was the perfect way to close out my series of Expo 2025 MC reports—and I couldn’t be more grateful.