Expo 2025, Osaka: a planet of pavilions and a Grand Ring to envelop them all - with flying cars overhead
Advertisement
Days before the official opening ceremony of the
Expo 2025 in Osaka , on April 13, the final push is on to make sure a mammoth event that brings together 158 countries and regions from around the world is a success.
With the clock ticking, PostMag has been given exclusive access to the site and a preview of the expo, which will run until October 13. And while questions have been
raised about the cost and modern-day relevance of an event that can trace its history back to the grand 'expositions universelle' of the 1800s in cities such as Paris, London and Brussels, it is clear that the Osaka Expo 2025 will not only bring together innovations from around the world, but also offer solutions to our planet's most urgent issues.
The Expo 2025 logo, designed to resemble a creature made up of connected red cells, expressing the brilliance of life, adorns manhole covers in Osaka, Japan.
The expo is being hosted on Yumeshima, a 390-hectare man-made island in Osaka Bay whose name translates as 'Dream Island'. Development of the site has necessitated the construction of comprehensive public transport facilities and many of the
28 million anticipated visitors will arrive using a state-of-the-art subway station.
Immediately beyond the entrance gates lies the Grand Ring, the symbol of the expo and the brainchild of
architect Sou Fujimoto . The ring encircles the international pavilions and is a latticework of towering cedar, cypress and Scots pine that soars to a maximum height of 20 metres, all put together in the nuki style of Japanese carpentry, which employs the crafted joints and connectors traditionally used in temples and shrines.
The ring itself is 30 metres across and, on its upper level, has a 2km boardwalk with landscaped gardens, allowing visitors to walk around the entire site. The Grand Ring communicates the concept of 'unity in diversity', expo organisers point out, and, with a surface area of 61,035 square metres, was recognised by the Guinness World Records as the largest wooden architectural structure on the planet.
Advertisement
From the top of the ring, the skyscrapers of Osaka can be seen on the horizon while a steady flow of ships ply the waters around this artificial island. To the west, the city of Kobe hugs the coastline before rising steeply to Mount Rokko.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
AllAfrica
2 days ago
- AllAfrica
Fewer cradles, more canes: East Asia's demographic reckoning
East Asia faces an unprecedented demographic transformation that will reshape the region's economic and social foundations within decades. From Seoul to Singapore, fertility rates have collapsed below replacement levels, creating aging societies with shrinking workforces and mounting care demands. While this crisis spans multiple countries, Japan provides the clearest window into both the challenges ahead and potential solutions, having reached the most advanced stage of demographic decline. The regional scope is staggering. South Korea's fertility rate has plummeted to 0.72, the world's lowest, while China's has fallen to 1.09 despite abandoning its one-child policy. Taiwan sits at 0.87, and Singapore at 0.97. These aren't temporary fluctuations but sustained collapses driven by shared pressures: intense educational competition, high living costs, demanding work cultures and persistent gender inequalities that burden women with disproportionate caregiving responsibilities. Japan, as the demographic frontrunner, illustrates where this trajectory leads. In 2024, births fell to 686,061—the first time below 700,000 since 1899—while deaths approached 1.6 million, shrinking the population by 900,000 people. The fertility rate dropped to 1.15, and in Tokyo, it's below 1.0. With seniors comprising 30% of the population and working-age adults only 59%, Japan faces smaller tax bases, strained pensions and regions struggling with aging and decline. The Japanese experience reveals why conventional policy responses fail across the region. Despite extensive family-friendly policies, including child allowances and parental leave, births continue falling because three fundamental barriers persist throughout East Asia. High-intensity work cultures directly conflict with family formation, especially for women caught between career demands and caregiving expectations. Marriage-centric approaches to parenthood reduce births when marriage itself becomes delayed or avoided. Rising costs of housing, education and child-rearing push desired family sizes below replacement levels, particularly in expensive metropolitan areas. These create self-reinforcing cycles visible across the region: fewer young adults produce fewer births, accelerating aging and fiscal pressure, which tightens labor markets and makes family formation even harder. China's shrinking workforce, South Korea's pension crisis and Singapore's foreign worker dependence all reflect variations of this dynamic. Japan's evolution toward immigration as a partial solution foreshadows regional trends. Foreign residents reached 3.6 million in early 2025, reflecting policy shifts that other East Asian countries are beginning to emulate. However, immigration alone cannot reverse age structures quickly enough, and political sensitivities remain high across the region. The crucial challenge is integrating immigrants effectively to stabilize productivity and social cohesion. Rather than chasing birth rate recovery, East Asian societies need comprehensive strategies for thriving with smaller, older populations. Japan's emerging approach offers a regional template across several dimensions. Work redesign represents the first priority. Default flexibility with strict overtime limits and predictable scheduling challenges the region's notorious work cultures. Corporate incentives should be tied to concrete caregiving and flexibility improvements, not just policy promises. This applies equally to South Korea's demanding corporate culture and China's '996' work expectations. Making parenthood low-friction requires treating early childhood care as critical infrastructure. Universal, high-quality childcare within reasonable distances, backed by guaranteed spots, addresses cost and availability barriers across the region. Portable benefits independent of employment or marital status support contemporary life patterns from Seoul to Shanghai. Normalizing diverse family pathways means decoupling benefits from marriage and supporting single parents and cohabiting partners. Tax and pension systems should encourage rather than penalize dual-earner households, challenging traditional gender roles that persist across East Asian societies. Building 'silver productivity' economies through age-tech, robotics and AI-enabled care platforms offers opportunities to turn demographic challenges into competitive advantages. Regional cooperation in developing these technologies could create exportable expertise in serving aging populations globally. Immigration strategies must shift toward long-term settlement with language training, credential recognition, and anti-discrimination enforcement. Singapore's managed approach and Japan's recent visa expansions suggest models that China and South Korea might adapt. The political economy of this transition varies across the region but shares common elements. Success requires coalitions spanning seniors, employers and younger households, with immigration policies becoming predictably stable. China's authoritarian system offers different tools than democratic Taiwan or South Korea, but all face similar distributional negotiations about who pays for change and how quickly institutions adapt. East Asia can pioneer the world's first cluster of successful 'high-longevity, low-fertility' societies that maintain prosperity by maximizing capability at every age and background. This vision prioritizes time for caregivers, dignity for aging citizens, and inclusion for new residents across national boundaries. Japan's role as the demographic frontrunner makes it a crucial test case. If Japan develops effective adaptation strategies, they can inform approaches across the region and beyond. Many Western countries face similar but delayed transitions, making East Asian innovations globally relevant. The demographic crisis spans East Asia, but so does the opportunity for solutions. Japan's experience as the leading edge offers both warnings and hope for neighbors following the same path. The question isn't whether these societies will age and shrink—that's already happening. The question is whether they can build thriving models adapted to that reality, potentially transforming one of the 21st century's greatest challenges into a source of innovation and global leadership. Y. Tony Yang is an endowed professor and associate dean at the George Washington University in Washington, DC.
AllAfrica
5 days ago
- AllAfrica
Accounting for Trump's tariff losses a tricky business in Japan
On July 7, 2025, US President Trump announced a sweeping 25 % tariff on all Japanese imports, starting August 1, as part of an escalating 'reciprocal' trade campaign targeting allies including South Korea and the EU. While some key exemptions remain negotiable, most sectors, from autos and semiconductors to steel and agriculture, are bracing for a major cost shock. The yen swiftly weakened on the announcement, and Tokyo's finance ministry and Bank of Japan have already flagged rising uncertainty among businesses. Against this backdrop, Japanese chief financial officers (CFOs) face twin challenges: quantifying the direct impact of tariffs on operating costs and revising financial disclosures to satisfy investors and regulators. Under J‑GAAP guidelines, traditionally conservative and earnings‑focused, standardized frameworks for geopolitical risk are limited, while those reporting in IFRS or US GAAP must reassess earnings forecasts, contingent liabilities and disclosure notes. It remains imperative to know how major Japanese companies are reworking earnings guidance, adjusting supply chains and preparing audited statements in the wake of these tariff shocks. Export-heavy Japanese firms have begun sounding the alarm over tariff-driven profit erosion. Toyota, reporting in May under IFRS, forecasted a 21 % drop in full‑year operating profit, from 4.8 trillion yen to 3.8 trillion yen, citing $1.25 billion in tariff costs (180 billion yen in the April-May period) and forex headwinds. The company also confirmed it would raise US vehicle prices by an average of $270 starting this month, a tactical move to partially offset the levies. Sony's latest earnings outlook similarly forecasts a 100 billion yen hit from US tariffs for its fiscal year. Meanwhile, the yen dropped to around 146 yen per dollar following the tariff announcement, reinforcing the squeeze on repatriated profits . Under both J‑GAAP and IFRS, these shifts necessitate revising earnings guidance, stress-testing for 'material subsequent events' and enriching disclosures around contingent liabilities, moves that must be navigated carefully as CFOs scramble to maintain transparency and investor trust. Facing steep levies, many Japanese manufacturers are actively restructuring global operations to shield margins. Honda has already shifted production of its US-bound Civic hybrid from Japan to Indiana, citing tariffs and cost-efficiency as key drivers. The company is also sourcing batteries domestically, from Toyota's US plant, to sidestep duties on imported parts. Nissan, meanwhile, has cut Rogue SUV output at its Kyushu plant by 13,000 vehicles and is reassessing both its North American and Japanese production footprint. Even auto suppliers are feeling the pinch: Tier-2 firm Kyowa Industrial in Gunma has begun diversifying into medical devices after tariffs hit its core business. Beyond automotive, Sony and Suntory have pre-emptively stockpiled goods in US warehouses to create buffer inventories. These strategic pivots, from factories to inventories, underscore a broader recalibration across Japan Inc as firms recalibrate logistics, procurement, and production geography to maintain flexibility and guard against trade disruptions. As operational shifts take hold, CFOs are also wrestling with how to properly account for tariff-related disruptions. BOJ surveys show many firms are 'vague' on the total impact of US tariffs, flagging concerns but struggling to quantify them precisely. Meanwhile, a Reuters poll indicates that over 70% of Japanese firms consider the tariff effects 'within expectations' and have kept their investment plans largely unchanged, a sign that many may not yet feel compelled to trigger formal contingent liability disclosures. But with exports declining, the first drop in eight months, and automakers absorbing tariff costs rather than passing them along to US consumers, the financial statement implications are mounting. With tariff-induced operations and accounting adjustments underway, external audit teams, particularly those aligned with Big 4 standards, are sharpening their focus on how companies quantify and disclose these disruptions. EY's April 2025 guidance emphasizes that firms reporting under IFRS must now assess whether tariffs trigger asset impairments, onerous contract provisions or require updated interim disclosures, particularly when changes affect future cash flows or contract terms. Notably, EY flags that tariffs may necessitate impairment tests under IAS 36 and provisions for onerous contracts under IAS 37, especially where long-term contracts lack cost-pass-through clauses. While external auditors ramp up scrutiny, Japan's Financial Services Agency (FSA) remains unusually quiet on tariff-specific disclosure mandates, leaving listed companies to navigate a compliance gray zone. The FSA's 2024-25 strategic priorities emphasize monitoring geopolitical risk, market volatility and corporate governance gaps, but offer no concrete guidance on tariff-driven financial disclosures. Concurrently, the Tokyo Stock Exchange is preparing to roll out mandatory bilingual financial reporting for its Prime Market in April 2025, which will certainly strain resources at these firms during a time of extreme volatility due to tariffs. This puts pressure on CFOs: they must reconcile complex disclosure requirements, detailing tariff sensitivities, contract risks, and earnings volatility, in both Japanese and English, without standardized frameworks under J‑GAAP. As a result, firms are adopting varied approaches, with some offering robust earnings-risk sections and others opting for minimalist commentary, highlighting a troubling divergence in transparency ahead of critical year-end audits. Uneven disclosures and growing audit scrutiny are beginning to resonate in capital markets. According to the Bank of Japan's Q2 Tankan survey, large manufacturers expect a sharp 8.4 % drop in recurring profits this fiscal year, a marked reversal from earlier optimism and a direct reflection of tariff and global demand pressures. Market reaction has followed: following the US tariff announcement, shares in key exporters, Toyota fell ~2.7 %, Honda ~3 %, and Nissan ~2.2%, as auto stocks slid alongside global trade concerns. Meanwhile, capital markets are showing caution: Asahi postponed 50 billion yen in bond issuance, Suntory deferred 10 billion yen, and Nissin delayed another 40 billion yen, citing the same volatility born from US tariff threats. For CFOs, this translates into heightened demands for clarity across earnings guidance, MD&A disclosures, and bond covenants, as investors apply pressure to anchor confidence in what's become a more unpredictable financial landscape. Taken together, the corporate and accounting responses to US tariffs reflect more than just tactical damage control but rather expose deeper structural tensions in how Japan Inc communicates risk in an increasingly volatile global economy. Japanese CFOs are thus being forced to make rapid decisions on everything from pricing strategies to contingent liability recognition, often without clear regulatory guidance or standardized frameworks to rely on. Auditors are tightening the screws, investors are demanding clearer signals, and yet Japan's disclosure ecosystem remains fragmented, especially under J‑GAAP. The result is a tiered landscape: some firms are embracing transparency, updating earnings guidance and expanding MD&A sections, while others are leaning into ambiguity, delaying adjustments in the hope that policy reversals will make reclassification unnecessary. With global supply chains already strained and capital markets showing signs of tariff fatigue, this divergence in financial communication risks undermining both investor trust and long-term competitiveness. If Japanese regulators and standard-setters continue to hesitate on formal disclosure guidance, they risk leaving their most globally exposed companies without a roadmap, just as the world is watching more closely than ever. Sayaka Ohshima holds an MBA and a B.S. in Accounting, and works as a U.S.-based accountant specializing in financial reporting and compliance. Her research explores the intersection of economic policy, trade strategy and global capital flows.
RTHK
6 days ago
- RTHK
ANA has high hopes for 'air taxis' by 2027
ANA has high hopes for 'air taxis' by 2027 A Joby Aviation electric air taxi flies near the Downtown Manhattan Heliport in Manhattan, New York City. File photo: Reuters Japanese airline ANA on Thursday said that, together with a US start-up, it hopes to have electric "air taxis" whizzing over Japan from as early as 2027. ANA and California-based Joby Aviation said they would establish a joint venture with a view to deploying more than 100 of the five-seater aircraft. Flying taxies will "revolutionise our air mobility", Koji Shibata, president and chief executive of ANA, said. An ANA spokesman said on Thursday that the aircraft, designed to carry a pilot and up to four passengers at speeds of up to 320 kilometres per hour, could be in service from as early as 2027. The project primarily envisages trips between Narita and Haneda airports and Tokyo, although the routes can diversify in the future. Currently, a car or train ride between central Tokyo and Narita typically takes an hour or longer, but Joby's five-seater can shorten this to around 15 minutes, ANA said. There are no price details yet, but ANA wants to make the service as affordable as possible for the general public, a spokesman said. ANA and Joby will make a public flight demonstration of the vehicles at the Osaka Expo in October. "Where ancient wisdom, legendary craftsmanship and soaring ambition converge – that's Japan", said JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby Aviation. "And that makes it an extraordinary launchpad for redefining the future of air mobility." Joby's aircraft lifts off like a helicopter, then transitions to fly forward like a plane "with minimal acoustic impact and zero operating emissions", according to the firm. In December, flying taxi startup Volocopter said it was filing for insolvency, days after another German company in the field, Lilium, was saved from collapse. Volocopter had been aiming to enter the market in 2025 with its two-seater "Volocity" electric air taxi model. It suffered a setback when it had to cancel test flights in Paris at short notice during the Olympics after the certification for its aircraft engine didn't come through in time. (AFP)
