Latest news with #2025Osaka-KansaiExpo
Yomiuri Shimbun
20-07-2025
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Nepal Pavilion Finally Opens at Osaka Expo; All Pavilions Now Open
All 84 pavilions have now opened at the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo, with Nepal's pavilion opening on Saturday. The Nepal pavilion had remained closed since the expo kicked off in April. At its opening ceremony held around noon on Saturday, the pavilion's staff greeted visitors with cheers. 'We are glad to be open, despite the delay,' said Birendra Bajracharya, director of the pavilion. 'I want visitors to see our displays, which resonate with the expo's theme.' About 50 objects, including a Nepalese Buddhist statue and mandala, are on display at the pavilion. Visitors can also enjoy food and purchase items. The pavilion is Type A, meaning Nepal handled the construction on its own. However, construction work had been suspended due to delays on the Nepalese side in paying its Japanese contractor.
Straits Times
16-07-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Crowds, heat pose challenges as Osaka Expo reaches midway point
It is estimated that 18 million tickets need to be sold in order for the Expo to break even. As of July 12, over 15 million tickets have been sold. OSAKA - July 13 marked three months since the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo opened, and ticket sales have remained strong with more than 10 million visitors. With the possibility of making a profit in sight, the event, which is now halfway through its run, is now facing the challenges of crowds and heat. 'We are, in general, making good progress,' said Mr Hiroyuki Ishige, secretary general of the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition, at a press conference on July 14. 'The summer holiday season is the key to success, and we'd like to increase the number of visitors.' Before the Expo opened April 13, advanced tickets were not selling well, and since the details of what the pavilions would display was not disclosed, many pointed out that they were not sure what the main attractions were. However, public interest has since grown as the actual experiences of visitors started spreading on social media. Since then, about 2 million admission tickets have been sold per month, bringing the total to 15.98 million as of July 12. The association plans to use the revenue from admission ticket sales to cover 83 per cent, or 96.9 billion yen (S$840 million), of the 116 billion yen it costs to run the Expo. It is estimated that 18 million tickets need to be sold in order for the Expo to break even, and the actual sales are close to 90 per cent of that figure. At this pace, the Expo could turn a profit as early as within August. By July 12, more than 10 million people visited the Expo, bringing the cumulative total to 10.11 million. The daily average for the number of visitors was 110,000. But earlier in July, when it was starting to really get hot, there were less than 100,000 visitors on some days. The association is aiming for an average of 130,000 visitors per day in the second half of the Expo run to stabilise revenues. The key to achieving this goal will be to reduce congestion. The association introduced an online reservation system to visit pavilions at certain times and dates and has touted the event as a 'line-free Expo'. However, in reality, many of the pavilions for other countries do not use the reservation system, so visitors to the more popular of these pavilions, such as the Italy Pavilion and the USA Pavilion, sometimes have to wait several hours. In addition, as the Expo does not have a lot of shaded areas, visitors have to wait in the sun. As of July 20, 20 people were reported to have suffered heatstroke or suspected to have suffered heatstroke in July, when the daily high temperatures for Osaka City, where the Expo is located, have been about 35 deg C. The association has installed fans with a misting spray and other devices at various locations, and parasols are available for rent in front of the entrance gate. To ease daytime crowds, the association plans to encourage visitors to come later in the evening, when it is slightly cooler, through such means as holding fireworks shows — previously only held once or twice a month — every day from July 12 through the end of August and setting up a beer garden. At previous expos, the number of visitors tended to increase in the second half of their run, and there is a concern that the crowds will become more intense. 'We'd like to encourage visitors to come before the late stage of the (Expo's duration) to try and disperse the crowds,' said an association official. It is also necessary to increase the number of visitors who do not live near the Expo. According to the association, 67.5 per cent of domestic visitors have come from the Kinki region, 15.5 per cent from the Kanto region, 2.4 per cent from Kyushu and 0.8 per cent from the Tohoku region. Visitors from overseas account for 9 per cent of the total. As people tend to travel more during the summer, the association sees it as an opportunity to increase the number of visitors from distant regions and intends to strengthen its communication through social media and other means. THE JAPAN NEWS/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
Yomiuri Shimbun
15-07-2025
- Business
- Yomiuri Shimbun
2025 Expo Osaka: Crowds, Heat Pose Challenges as Event Reaches Midway Point; Expo Might Turn a Profit, but Summer Holiday Season is Key
OSAKA — Sunday marked three months since the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo opened, and ticket sales have remained strong with more than 10 million visitors. With the possibility of making a profit in sight, the event, which is now halfway through its run, is now facing the challenges of crowds and heat. 'We are, in general, making good progress,' said Hiroyuki Ishige, secretary general of the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition, at a press conference on Monday. 'The summer holiday season is the key to success, and we'd like to increase the number of visitors.' Before the Expo opened April 13, advanced tickets were not selling well, and since the details of what the pavilions would display was not disclosed, many pointed out that they were not sure what the main attractions were. However, public interest has since grown as the actual experiences of visitors started spreading on social media. Since then, about 2 million admission tickets have been sold per month, bringing the total to 15.98 million as of Friday. The association plans to use the revenue from admission ticket sales to cover 83%, or ¥96.9 billion, of the ¥116 billion it costs to run the Expo. It is estimated that 18 million tickets need to be sold in order for the Expo to break even, and the actual sales are close to 90% of that figure. At this pace, the Expo could turn a profit as early as within August. By Saturday, more than 10 million people visited the Expo, bringing the cumulative total to 10.11 million. The daily average for the number of visitors was 110,000. But earlier this month, when it was starting to really get hot, there were less than 100,000 visitors on some days. The association is aiming for an average of 130,000 visitors per day in the second half of the Expo run to stabilize revenues. The key to achieving this goal will be to reduce congestion. The association introduced an online reservation system to visit pavilions at certain times and dates and has touted the event as a 'line-free Expo.' However, in reality, many of the pavilions for other countries do not use the reservation system, so visitors to the more popular of these pavilions, such as the Italy Pavilion and the USA Pavilion, sometimes have to wait several hours. In addition, as the Expo does not have a lot of shaded areas, visitors have to wait in the sun. As of Sunday, 20 people were reported to have suffered heatstroke or suspected to have suffered heatstroke this month, when the daily high temperatures for Osaka City, where the Expo is located, have been about 35 C. The association has installed fans with a misting spray and other devices at various locations, and parasols are available for rent in front of the entrance gate. To ease daytime crowds, the association plans to encourage visitors to come later in the evening, when it is slightly cooler, through such means as holding fireworks shows — previously only held once or twice a month — every day from Saturday through the end of August and setting up a beer garden. At previous expos, the number of visitors tended to increase in the second half of their run, and there is a concern that the crowds will become more intense. 'We'd like to encourage visitors to come before the late stage of the [Expo's duration] to try and disperse the crowds,' said an association official. It is also necessary to increase the number of visitors who do not live near the Expo. According to the association, 67.5% of domestic visitors have come from the Kinki region, 15.5% from the Kanto region, 2.4% from Kyushu and 0.8% from the Tohoku region. Visitors from overseas account for 9% of the total. As people tend to travel more during the summer, the association sees it as an opportunity to increase the number of visitors from distant regions and intends to strengthen its communication through social media and other means.
Yomiuri Shimbun
13-07-2025
- Yomiuri Shimbun
3 Months After Expo's Opening, Visitors Top 10 Mil.; 164,000 Visitors Attend on Saturday
OSAKA — A total of 10.08 million general visitors have attended the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo in the three months since its opening on April 13 through Saturday, according to the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition. Also, preliminary visitor numbers for Saturday totaled 164,000, marking the third highest daily figure, the association said Sunday, one day after an aerobatic demonstration by the Blue Impulse, a team of Air Self-Defense Force pilots. With three months having passed since the Expo kicked off, the six-month-long event reached its halfway point on Sunday. The association projects 28.2 million people will have visited the Expo by the time it ends. However, the current pace is slower than what has been projected. Nevertheless, the association expects the numbers to pick up during the summer vacation period and toward the end of the Expo. The association also plans to strengthen its efforts to attract visitors from outside the Kansai region.
Yomiuri Shimbun
13-07-2025
- Climate
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Blue Impulse Planes Fly over Osaka-Kansai Expo Site; Halfway Point of Event Reached
OSAKA — A team of Air Self-Defense Force pilots performed an aerobatic demonstration at the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo in Yumeshima, Osaka, on Saturday. The event, which lasted for about 15 minutes, was performed by Blue Impulse, the ASDF's aerobatic demonstration team. The show was initially scheduled for April 13, the opening day of the Expo, but canceled due to bad weather. Sunday marked three months since the opening of the Expo and the halfway point of the six-month event, which is taking place on the artificial island in Osaka Bay.
