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Expo 2025
World expo held in Osaka, Japan From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Expo 2025 (2025年日本国際博覧会, Nisennijūgo-nen Nippon Kokusai Hakurankai; and officially 大阪・関西万博, Ōsaka–Kansai Banpaku for short) is a World Expo organised and sanctioned by the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), which is being held in Osaka, Japan. It is taking place for six months from 13 April to 13 October 2025.[1] This is the second time that Osaka Prefecture has hosted a World Expo, having previously hosted Expo 1970. The event has returned to its traditional 5-year scheduling cycle after the 2020 edition was delayed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[2] The projected visitor count is approximately 28 million.[1][3]
 | This article may require copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone, or spelling. (August 2025) |
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Bidding, selection and ratification of Expo city
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Ratification
The registration dossier for Japan's expo containing a detailed plan with proposed operational dates (13 April to 13 October 2025) and legacy plans has been submitted to the BIE for review.[4]
Candidates
On 22 November 2016, France submitted to the BIE its candidature to host World Expo 2025.[5] This first submission launched the bidding process for this Expo by opening the candidate list. All other countries wishing to organise World Expo 2025 had until 22 May 2017 to submit their own bids, after which the project examination phase started.
Baku, Azerbaijan – The Azerbaijani capital entered its candidacy before the deadline[6] under the theme "Developing Human Capital, Building a Better Future".
Osaka, Japan – Osaka made its official bid for the Expo on 24 April 2017[7] with the theme "Designing Future Society for Our Lives".[8]
Yekaterinburg, Russia – The Russian city entered its candidacy on 22 May 2017[9] under the theme "Changing the World: Innovations and Better Life for Future Generations".
Withdrawn candidates
Paris, France – France, which had been the first to declare its candidacy under the theme "Sharing our Knowledge, Caring for our Planet," withdrew its candidacy on 21 January 2018 due to financial concerns and the successful bid for the 2024 Summer Olympics.[5][10]
Results
A secret ballot took place to select the winner at BIE's 164th General Assembly on 23 November 2018. The first ballot awarded 85 votes to Osaka, 48 votes to Yekaterinburg and 23 votes to Baku, which meant that Baku was eliminated. The second round ballot resulted in 92 votes for Osaka and 61 for Yekaterinburg.[11][12][13] This makes Expo 2025 the second time that Osaka has hosted a world expo, after Expo '70.[14][15][16]
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Themes
The theme for the expo is "Designing Future Society for Our Lives", with sub-themes of "Saving Lives", "Empowering Lives" and "Connecting Lives".[17] The theme "Saving Lives" includes infant vaccinations, sanitation, lifestyle (diet and exercise) and extending lifespans.[17]
The concept is "People's Living Lab".[18]
Purpose
The Expo 2025 is held with the aim of achieving a society in which the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)—17 sustainable development goals set out at the United Nations Summit on Sustainable Development held at the UN Headquarters, New York City in September 2015[19]—have been achieved. With five years remaining until 2030, the target year for achieving the SDGs, 2025 is an extremely important year for accelerating efforts to achieve them.
Furthermore, it aims to head towards realizing Japan's national strategy: Society 5.0 ("super smart society"), which is a society, after the information society, industrial society, agrarian society, and hunter-gatherer society before it, that brings prosperity to people by making the most of ICT and integrating cyberspace and physical space.[20]
Site
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The main site of Expo 2025 is a 155 hectare area (383 acres) located in Yumeshima Island, Konohana-ku, Osaka.[23] The Grand Ring was designed by the Japanese Architect Sou Fujimoto. It is enclosed by three large thematic districts dedicated to the themes of Expo 2025 – Connecting, Empowering, and Saving Lives.[23][24][25] The infrastructure of the site was built by Obayashi, Shimizu, and Takenaka Corporation and was recognized by the Guinness World Records as the world's largest wooden architectural structure with a certified area of 61,035.55 m2.[26][27][23][28][29]
Pavilion World
A lively area where facilities such as the pavilions, the highlight of the Expo, are gathered. Pavilion World has a ring-shaped main street and ring roof.[30] The large roof will provide shade and rain protection and will also serve as an observation corridor by installing an aerial corridor on the roof. In September 2021, the Osaka Wood Association proposed that the ring be constructed with domestic wood. In addition, a "Silent Forest" was placed in the center of the large roof and pavilions as a space for visitors to relax.[31]
Water World
A relaxation area that utilizes the waterscape on the south side of the venue, it is a place that symbolizes the world's first maritime Expo. In addition to having food and beverage facilities facing the waterfront, it will also be used as a stage for water events such as the "Air and Water Spectacular Show". In the evening, from the top of the large roof ring, you can watch the sun setting over the Seto Inland Sea, which has been praised as a spectacular sight since ancient times.
Green World
A green area facing the sea on the west side of the venue, it is an open, green space. It has an outdoor event plaza, a best practice area, and a mobility experience where visitors can try out advanced mobility (such as flying cars). It also has a bus terminal and a western gate.
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Marketing
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Logo
The logo mark based on the concept of "cells" was designed by Team Inari (represented by Shimada Tamotsu) in Osaka and Landor Associates from San Francisco, United States.[32] It was announced on 25 August 2020, it became a hot topic on the Internet, called "The Shine of Life".[33][34][35]
Mascot
Myaku-Myaku (ミャクミャク, Myakumyaku), is the mascot and yuru-chara representing Expo 2025, it was designed by picture book and children's book illustrator Kouhei Yamashita and named through a public contest by entrants Miyuu Kawakatsu and Hinata Sakuda in early 2022.[36]
After a strict selection process from 33,197 submissions, it was selected on the morning of 18 July 2022, and announced at a commemorative event held on the same day.[37] That day marked the 1,000-day countdown before the opening. Then-Prime Minister Fumio Kishida explained that the nickname is imbued with the meaning of inheriting history, tradition, culture, and connections with the world.[38]
Commemorative coins
In April 2023, the Japanese Ministry of Finance announced that it will issue coins to commemorate the 2025 World Exposition.[39]
In September 2024, the Ministry of Finance announced that it will issue ¥10,000 gold coins, ¥1,000 silver coins, and ¥500 coins to commemorate the 2025 World Expo (Osaka-Kansai Expo). This will be the first time that the ¥10,000 gold coins and ¥500 coins have been issued as Expo 2025 commemorative coins. The ¥1,000 silver coin will be issued for the third time. The application period will be around three weeks from March 6, 2025, and the coins will be sold by mail order through the Mint Bureau.[40]
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Transport
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Osaka Metro 400 series and Hyundai Elec City Osaka Kansai Expo Spec "Green Park Bus"
The venue for the Expo 2025 is Yumeshima, an artificial island in Osaka Bay. As this is the first Expo to be held at sea, visitors will need to land on Yumeshima (the Yumeshima approach). To get to Yumeshima, visitors will need to use public transports such as trains, shuttle buses, express buses, airport buses, bicycles, boats, and taxis. As private cars are prohibited from the island in principle, except for those using the handicapped parking lot, visitors will need to park in a nearby P&R (park and ride) parking lot and then take a shuttle bus to the island.
In addition, this Expo, which is based on the concept of a "testing ground for future society," is also hosting a "Future Society Showcase Project" where visitors can experience life in the near future. As part of this, the transportation to the venue will also feature futuristic mobility equipped with cutting-edge technology, such as electric buses that can be powered while driving and hydrogen fuel cell ships.[41][42][43]
Before the opening, it was estimated that of the maximum 227,000 visitors per day, 133,000 (58.6%) would use Yumeshima Station on the Osaka Metro Chuo Line.[44][45] According to estimates by the Expo Association, in the first month after the opening, the average number of visitors per day was 104,000, lower than the expected 150,000, but 76.6% of visitors used Yumeshima Station, which does not require reservations. This was mainly due to the fact that the expensive P&R (Park & Ride) was used by only 5.2% of visitors.[46][47]
A 3.2 km extension of the Osaka Metro Chuo Line was constructed from its former terminus at Cosmosquare Station using the Yumesaki Tunnel to Yumeshima Station,[48] which opened on 19 January 2025.[49][50]
In addition, there are many Shuttle Bus routes to the Expo Site (Yumeshima Transportation terminal, Located in Front of Expo West gate) which departs from Shin-Ōsaka Station, Ōsaka Station (Umeda Station), Namba Station, Ōsaka Abenobashi Station (Tennōji Station), Nakanoshima Station, Ōsaka Uehommachi Station, Sakai Station, Sakaihigashi Station, Amagasaki Station (JR West,Hanshin), Trade Center-mae Station, Kobe-Sannomiya Station, Itami Airport, Kansai International Airport and Sakurajima Station. Seat reservation is required to get the Shuttle bus by using Kansai MaaS app or web site.[51](except from Sakurajima Station after 10 a.m and from Kobe-Sannomiya[52])
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Opening ceremony and operations
Prior to Expo 2025, around 9.69 million advance tickets were sold.[53] A rehearsal for Expo 2025 was conducted from 4 to 6 April, a week before the opening.[54] About 98,000 people attended, including those from exhibiting companies (who attended on 4 April) and Osaka residents and citizens selected through advance applications and lottery (who attended on 5 and 6 April).[54][55] A media preview was hosted on 9 April.[56] The dedication ceremony for Expo 2025 took place on 12 April 2025[14][15][57] at the EXPO Hall "Shine Hut" and the EXPO National Day Hall "Ray Garden".[58][59] The ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako, Crown Prince Akishino, and 1,300 representatives of participating nations.[57] The theme of the opening ceremony was "Re-Connect: Circulate, Resonate, Return, Connect". After Naruhito gave an opening address, Akishino, Honorary President of the Expo, performed an "opening action" by placing his hand over the activation panel to open the Expo.[60]
Expo 2025 officially opened the following day, 13 April.[61][62] At the time of the opening, eight foreign nations' pavilions were incomplete.[63][64]
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Performances
Several performances at the Expo 2025 have been recognized by Guinness World Records.
- Marching band: A brass band of 12,300 members marched through the large roof ring and was recognized as the "world's largest marching band."[65][66]
- Magical Dances of Water and Air: A daytime water event in which water sprayed from approximately 300 fountains in response to visitors' gestures was recognized (certified area: approximately 2,100 square meters).[67]
- Drone show: A drone show featuring 1,000 drones was held by Red Cliff for 184 days starting on the opening day, April 13. The large-scale drone show featuring 2,500 drones, a special production on the first day of the event, set a Guinness World Record. Title: Largest aerial display of a tree formed by multirotors/drones.[68][69]
- Bon Odori and a nightclub-style DJ concert: On the evening of 26 July, the largest Bon Odori dance and a DJ concert was held with over 3,900 people from 62 countries and was recognized based on the number of participants and nationalities.[70][71]
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Attendance
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Before the opening, it was estimated that the event would attract 28.2 million visitors (an average of approximately 150,000 per day) over its six-month run, with a peak daily attendance of up to 227,000.[72][73]
On opening day, 13 April 2025, 146,426 people (including 124,339 general visitors) attended, partly due to a planned Blue Impulse demonstration flight (which was canceled due to bad weather) and a planned Ado concert.[74][75] On that day, communication issues occurred at the entrance gate where digital tickets were presented in the morning, and in the afternoon, as the weather worsened, people rushed to Yumeshima Station to get home, resulting in long lines.[76][77] The number of visitors temporarily decreased after the second day, and for the first month after the opening, general visitor numbers remained in the 40,000-90,000 range, excluding the Golden Week period.[78]
From mid-May onwards, attendance increased due to the expansion of reservation slots and the earlier entry time for night tickets. On May 23, 163,509 people (145,245 general visitors) attended, exceeding the number on the opening day for the first time in 40 days. Also, on May 31, the last day for distributing discount codes for season passes, a record 187,762 people attended, due to a combination of events such as fireworks and live concerts.[79] The number of general visitors (169,923) exceeded 150,000 for the first time. In the second month (four weeks from May 13 to June 7), attendance increased by an average of 37,000 people per day compared to the first month of the opening.[80] Based on the results of the Aichi Expo, it is expected that the number of visitors in the last three months will be 1.5 times that of the first half.[81]
Visitor numbers lagged expectations during Expo 2025's first week.[53][82][83] Even though the exposition was expected to attract 28.2 million total visitors (or 150,000 visitors per day), the event had not recorded that number of visitors on any day during its opening week.[53] Expo 2025 recorded its millionth visitor 10 days after the exposition opened, on 23 April.[84][85][86]
The event achieved a significant milestone, celebrating 10 million visitors on 29 June 2025, marking the 78th day since the Expo's opening. The Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition expressed their delight at the faster-than-expected visitor pace. Kazuhiro Asano, a public accountant visiting with his family, had the honor of being recognized as the 10 millionth visitor, receiving special passes for unlimited entries during the summer period.[87][88] Blue Impulse performed a spectacular air show over the Expo venue on 13 July 2025. This highly anticipated event was a reschedule of a planned opening day performance that was canceled due to bad weather. The six jets delivered a stunning 15-minute display, drawing dynamic patterns in the sky with smoke trails, much to the delight of visitors. The team also flew over other iconic Osaka landmarks.[89][90]
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Reception
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A poll conducted by the Asahi Shimbun in June 2024 found limited interest by Japanese people for Expo 2025. Of 2,859 Asahi Shimbun readers, 81% had no intention of attending the expo, including 62% of respondents in Osaka. High ticket prices, lack of specific information about attractions, and safety concerns were listed as concerns by respondents. Eighty-six percent of respondents disapproved of using public funds to hold the expo.[91] In February 2025, a Mainichi Shimbun poll found that only 16% of respondents said they wanted to see Expo 2025. The Kansai region, which includes Osaka, had the highest level of interest, at 28%.[92]
The Grand Ring has attracted praise, although the incongruous pavilions and largely unshaded, concrete public areas drew criticism before the expo opened.[93] During the expo, a bomb scare, concerns about methane on the site, long queues, and bad behavior by some attendees diminished the visitor experience.[94][95] Visitor numbers in the first month were well below expectations, although one reviewer who attended on 30 April observed that past expos have seen their highest attendance numbers closer to their end dates.[96]
Myaku-Myaku, the official mascot of the expo, initially sparked mixed reactions, and became one of its main attractions a month and a half into the event. Visitors crowd around the character's statue to take pictures with it, or line up to enter Myaku-Myaku House, where a moving Myaku-Myaku welcomes its fans.[97]
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Participants
Countries
Algeria[98]
Angola[98]
Antigua and Barbuda[98]
Armenia[98]
Australia[98]
Austria[98]- Azerbaijan[98]
Bahrain[98]
Bangladesh[98]
Barbados[98]
Belgium[98]
Belize[98]
Benin[98]
Bhutan[98]
Bolivia[98]
Brazil[98]
Brunei[98]
Bulgaria[98]
Burkina Faso[98]
Burundi[98]
Cabo Verde[98]
Cambodia[98]
Cameroon[98]
Canada[98]
Central African Republic[98]
Chad
Chile
People's Republic of China
Colombia[98]
Comoros[98]
Côte d'Ivoire[98]
Croatia[98]
Cuba[98]
Czechia[98]
DR Congo[98]
Denmark[98]
Djibouti[98]
Dominican Republic[98]
Egypt[98]
Equatorial Guinea[98]
Eswatini[98]
Ethiopia[98]
Fiji[98]
Finland[98]- France[98]
Gabon[98]
Gambia[98]
Germany[98]
Ghana[98]
Grenada
Guatemala[98]
Guinea[98]
Guinea-Bissau[98]
Guyana[98]
Haiti[98]
Honduras[98]
Hungary[98]
Iceland[98]
India[98]
Indonesia[98]
Ireland[98]
Israel[98]
Italy[98]
Jamaica- Japan
Jordan[98]
Kazakhstan[98]
Kenya[98]
South Korea[98]
Kosovo[98]
Kuwait[98]
Kyrgyzstan[98]
Laos[98]
Latvia[98]
Lesotho[98]
Liberia[98]
Lithuania[98]
Luxembourg[98]
Madagascar[98]
Malawi[98]
Malaysia[98]
Mali[98]
Malta[98]
Marshall Islands[98]
Mauritania[98]
Mauritius[98]
Micronesia[98]
Moldova[98]
Monaco[98]
Mongolia[98]
Montenegro[98]
Mozambique[98]
Nauru[98]
Nepal[98]
Netherlands[98]
Nigeria[98]
North Macedonia[98]
Norway[98]
Oman[98]
Pakistan[98]
Palau[98]
Palestine[98]
Panama[98]
Papua New Guinea[98]
Paraguay[98]
Peru[98]
Philippines[98]
Poland[98]
Portugal[98]
Qatar[98]
Romania[98]
Rwanda[98]
Saint Kitts and Nevis[98]
Saint Lucia[98]
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines[98]
Samoa[98]
San Marino[98]
São Tomé and Príncipe[98]
Saudi Arabia[98]
Senegal[98]
Serbia[98]
Seychelles[98]
Sierra Leone[98]
Singapore[98]
Slovakia[98]
Slovenia[98]
Solomon Islands[98]
Somalia[98]
South Sudan[98]
Spain[98]
Sri Lanka[98]
Sudan[98]
Suriname[98]
Sweden[98]
Switzerland[98]
Republic of China[99]
Tajikistan[98]
Tanzania[98]
Thailand[98]
Timor-Leste[98]
Togo[98]
Tonga[98]
Trinidad and Tobago[98]
Tunisia[98]
Türkiye[98]
Turkmenistan[98]
Tuvalu[98]
Uganda[98]
Ukraine[98]
United Arab Emirates[98]
United Kingdom[98]
United States[98]
Uruguay[98]
Uzbekistan[98]
Vanuatu[98]
Vatican[98]
Vietnam[98]
Yemen[98]
Zambia[98]
Zimbabwe[98]
Withdrawn countries (with dates of withdrawal)
Afghanistan (1 November 2024)
Argentina (18 June 2024)[100]
Botswana (27 December 2024)[101]
El Salvador (27 December 2024)[101]
Estonia (14 November 2023)[102]
Greece (29 November 2024)[103]
Iran (27 December 2024)[101]
Mexico (14 November 2023)[102]
Niger (1 November 2024)
Niue (18 June 2024)- Russia (28 November 2023)[104]
South Africa (27 December 2024)[101]
International organizations
Withdrawn international organizations
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Pavilions
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The Expo is held on an artificial island called Yumeshima, located in Osaka Bay, with a view of the Seto Inland Sea. In addition to Sou Fujimoto's Grand Ring, additional structures and pavilions were designed by well known Japanese and international architects and designers such as Shigeru Ban, Atelier Brückner, Norman Foster, Lina Ghotmeh, Kengo Kuma, Michele de Lucchi, Yuko Nagayama, Nendo, Yoichi Ochiai, Carlo Ratti, RAU Architects, and SANAA.[105][106][107] The Pavilion area is located in the Expo's centre, with waters in the southern part and greenery in the western part of the expo.[108] The following countries will have pavilions present at the Expo:
Self-built pavilions (Type A)
- Japan
- Angola
- Australia
- Austria
- Azerbaijan
- Bahrain
- Belgium
- Brazil
- Bulgaria
- Canada
- Mainland China
- Colombia
- Czech Republic
- France
- Germany
- Hungary
- India
- Indonesia
- Ireland
- Italy
- Kuwait
- Luxembourg
- Malaysia
- Malta
- Monaco
- Nepal
- Netherlands
Nordic Pavilion
- Oman
- Philippines
- Poland
- Portugal
- Qatar
- Romania
- Saudi Arabia
- Serbia
- Singapore
- South Korea
- Spain
- Switzerland
- Taiwan[109]
- Thailand
- Turkey
- Turkmenistan
- United Arab Emirates
- United Kingdom
- United States
- Uzbekistan
Small pavilions (Type B)
Commons A pavilions
Commons B pavilions
Commons C pavilions
Commons D pavilions
Commons F pavilions
Domestic pavilions
Pavilions for private sectors
- Electric Power Pavilion[113]
- Gas Pavilion Obake Wonderland
- Gundam Next Future Pavilion
- Iida Group and Osaka Metropolitan University Joint Pavilion
- Mitsubishi Pavilion
- NTT Pavilion
- ORA Gaishoku Pavilion
- Panasonic Group Pavilio
- Pasona Pavilion
- Sumitomo Pavilion
- Yoshimoto Pavilion
- Zeri Japan Blue Ocean Dome
Signature pavilions
- Better Co-Being – Hiroaki Miyata[114][115]
- Future of Life – Hiroshi Ishiguro[116][117]
- Playground of Life: Jellyfish Pavilion – Sachiko Nakajima[118]
- null² – Yoichi Ochiai[119][120]
- Dynamic Equilibrium of Life – Shinichi Fukuoka[121]
- Live Earth Journey – Shoji Kawamori[122]
- Earth Mart – Kundō Koyama[123]
- Dialogue Theater – Naomi Kawase[124]
Gallery
Connecting Lives Zone
Nepal Pavilion
Luxembourg Pavilion
Germany Pavilion
Korean Pavilion[125]
Azerbaijan Pavilion
Monaco Pavilion
Turkey Pavilion
Thailand Pavilion
Spain Pavilion
Saudi Arabia Pavilion
Australia Pavilion
Indonesia Pavilion
India Pavilion
Uzbekistan Pavilion
Serbia Pavilion
Bangladesh Pavilion
Senegal Pavilion
Egypt Pavilion
Commons B Pavilion
Empowering Lives Zone
Ireland Pavilion
Philippines Pavilion[126]
USA Pavilion
UAE Pavilion
Canada Pavilion
Portugal Pavilion
Colombia Pavilion
Austria Pavilion
Kuwait Pavilion
China Pavilion
Bahrain Pavilion
Nordic Pavilion
Malta Pavilion
Czech Pavilion
Saving Lives Zone
Commons C Pavilion
Bulgaria Pavilion
Netherlands Pavilion
Commons D Pavilion
Oman Pavilion
Hungary Pavilion
Commons E Pavilion (unused)
Poland Pavilion
Romania Pavilion
UK Pavilion
Angola Pavilion
Signature Zone
null²[129]
Dynamic Equilibrium of Life
Future Life Zone
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Directors
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The directors of the expo were announced on 23 May 2019 and include Hiroyuki Ikeda, Kengo Sakurada, Hirofumi Yoshimura (Governor of Osaka), and Ichirō Matsui (Mayor of Osaka), with Hiroyuki Ishige as the secretary general, and Hiroyuki Takeuchi and Manatsu Ichinoki acting as vice secretaries general.[136][137]
The current chairman and Representative Director of the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition is Masakazu Tokura, Chairman of the Japan Business Federation. He has been the chairman and Representative Director of the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition since June 2021.[138]
Concerns and controversies
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Increasing hosting costs
In September 2017, the construction costs for the venue were estimated at 125 billion yen, and the national government, Osaka Prefecture, Osaka City, and the business community submitted an estimate to the International Exposition Bureau that each would bear just over ¥40 billion.[139] Of these, the business community agreed that Hakusui-kai, the Sumitomo Group organization of which Kansai Economic Federation Chairman Masayoshi Matsumoto is a member, and Japan Business Federation would bear ¥10 billion, and the Kansai business community would bear 20 billion yen. Hakusui-kai subsequently decided to donate 10 billion yen at a meeting in September 2019.[140]
In December 2020, due to a cost-of-living crisis, the estimated construction costs for the venue were revised upwards to a maximum of ¥185 billion. As before, the national government, Osaka Prefecture, Osaka City, and the business community will each bear one-third of the cost. In October 2022, the construction cost of the pavilion was revised up to 9.9 billion yen, an increase of ¥2.5 billion from the initial estimate.[141] In September 2023, the construction cost of the venue was adjusted to about ¥235 billion, an increase of another ¥45 billion.[142]
On 27 November 2022, Eiko Jimi, the Minister in charge of the Expo, announced that the government would have to pay ¥83.7 billion in addition to the construction cost of the venue. The breakdown is as follows: the total cost of the construction, exhibition, operation, and removal of the Japan Pavilion will be up to approximately ¥36 billion, the support for exhibitors from developing countries will be approximately ¥24 billion, security costs will be approximately ¥19.9 billion, and the cost of building momentum for the Expo will be approximately ¥3.8 billion. This does not include the cost of some interior construction work and is expected to be higher.[143]
On 14 December 2022, the Japan World Expo Association announced a proposed funding plan to increase the Expo's operating costs (such as personnel costs) by 40% from the initial estimate to ¥116 billion. The largest amount, ¥56 billion, was allocated to "venue management costs" such as venue operation and safety measures. The Expo's operating costs were nearly double the initial estimate due to measures to combat congestion and strengthened security measures following the political polarization in Japan and South Korea, such as the assassination of Shinzo Abe linked to the Unification Church, anti-government protests and riots, and the Seoul Halloween crowd crush the previous year.[144]
Total smoking ban rules
After the opening of the Expo, there were reports that the total smoking ban was not being followed within the venue. Based on the themes of this Expo, such as "life" and "health," the Expo Association had introduced a total smoking ban at the Yumeshima venue. In addition, in March 2024, there was an explosion caused by methane gas igniting during construction on the west side of the venue.[145] Just before the opening, a concentration of gas that could cause an explosion was detected underground in the same area, so smoking also poses the risk of ignition.[146]
Health concerns
The site of the expo, Yumeshima, was infested with chironomids (small, fly-like insects that resemble mosquitoes), due to the many wetlands and waterside areas in the area, and the salt-tolerant chironomids that inhabit the Water Plaza on the south side of the venue.[147][148] Although chironomids do not bite people, they affect the scenery and hygiene of the venue by attaching themselves to buildings, and visitors and related parties complained of their discomfort.[149][150] Osaka Prefecture requested cooperation from companies such as Earth Corporation, and measures were taken, such as the provision of extermination products and spraying chemicals.[151][152] In connection with this outbreak, false information was spread on social media, such as "chironomids at the Osaka Expo transmit malaria," but experts and fact-checking organizations have explained that chironomids do not bite people and do not transmit infectious diseases.[153]
On 28 May, Legionella bacteria were detected in the artificial pond in the Forest of Tranquility in the center of the venue, and on the 4th of the following month, Legionella bacteria were detected in the seawater of the "Water Plaza" where the water show was held, both at levels 20 times higher than the national guideline.[154] In response to this, measures were taken such as canceling the water show for the time being and suspending the use of the pond. Even after receiving the report of the detection of Legionella bacteria from the health center, the Expo Association did not immediately take measures to ban entry and stated that "we did not recognize that the advice from the health center required urgency".[155][156]
However, this was the result of the "live bacteria PCR method," which gives results quickly, and experts pointed out that "it may react to things other than the bacteria being tested." In response to this, a re-examination using the more accurate "culture method" found that no Legionella bacteria, which could cause pneumonia, were detected in the seawater of the Water Plaza, so after consulting with the Osaka City Health Center and others, it was decided to resume the water show on 11 July 2025.[157] In addition, the water pond at the Forest of Tranquility was cleaned and disinfected, and a re-examination on 7 June revealed that the levels were below the guideline values, so consideration is being given to reopening the pond to the public. However, since some facilities are connected to the pond in the center of the forest, the decision was made to suspend its use for the duration of the event out of consideration for the impact on living creatures there.[158][159]
Unpaid construction costs for overseas pavilions
A number of cases have been discovered in the overseas pavilions, including the Angola, Malta Pavilion, and the China Pavilions, where construction costs have not been paid by the main contractor to subcontractors involved in the construction. This may have been due to rushed construction, and all of these contractors are complaining about their plight.[160][161]
Legacy
Regarding the use of the site after the closing ceremony, Osaka Prefecture and Osaka City solicited proposals from the private sector, and selected two of them as the winning proposals. The proposals were from a group of seven companies including Obayashi Corporation Osaka Head Office, and a group of six companies including KEPCO Real Estate Development.[162][163]
The proposal from the seven companies was a plan to develop a circuit with an eye toward attracting a Formula 1 racing track in the future, as well as a large arena, shopping mall, and hotel. The proposal from the six companies including KEPCO Real Estate Development was a plan to create a complex resort facility with a water park with slides and a hotel, with an awareness of the connection to the neighboring MGM Osaka which was under construction.[164][165] Osaka City plans to open a public call for developers after October 2025.[166]
See also
References
External links
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