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Observer
2 days ago
- Business
- Observer
Oman's presence at Expo Osaka to boost Japanese tourism
Undoubtedly, significant efforts have been made to ensure the country's participation in the international expo currently being held in Osaka, Japan. The expo began on April 13, 2025, and will continue until October 13, 2025. Several government agencies, along with the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry, have contributed to the financial cost of sponsoring Oman's presence at this global event, which is held every five years. Several government delegations have also contributed to organizing the expo and made official visits. Recently, an Omani trade delegation from the Chamber participated in this expo and some of its important activities. The Sultanate of Oman has consistently participated in this international event since the nineties of the last century. Its first participation was at the Expo International Exhibition in Madrid, Spain, in 1992. The expo's theme was "The Global Age of Transportation," given the importance of transportation in bringing peoples together and driving human progress. The expo highlighted the transformation of transportation from ancient maritime routes to modern technology, while also showcasing countries' innovations in infrastructure, railways, aviation, and telecommunications. However, the Japan Expo, held on the artificial island of Yumeshima in Osaka, Japan, is expected to attract millions of visitors, providing a unique global platform bringing together more than 160 countries and international organizations. Government institutions and the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry are keen to raise awareness of the importance of these international exhibitions. This requires organizing media trips to raise awareness and educate people about the importance of this event. This requires sending more media professionals to discuss this participation and its benefits at the national level, as well as ways to promote Japanese tourism to Oman in the coming years, given the large number of Japanese tourists who travel to various countries around the world annually. Japanese tourists are among the most organized and detail-oriented, and these traits are reflected in their spending patterns and preferred destinations. The average tourist from Japan spends on tourism for example, in Indonesia, around $1,462 per visit in 2022, and approximately $1,300 per visit to cities in the United States. Japanese tourists stay for extended periods, typically about two weeks in the United States, more than 18 days in France, 12 days in Indonesia, and five days in Korea. Now with direct flights between some Gulf cities, such as Dubai and Doha, and other cities in the region, attracting Japanese tourism has become easier. However, it requires companies that can convince the Japanese public to make these visits to Oman, for example. Japanese tourists also prefer group trips, especially older travelers, due to their need for rest and organization, while young people are also eager to experience unique experiences. In general, such international exhibitions provide a great opportunity for countries to promote their national identity and build their image by showcasing their cultures and creativity, which contributes to strengthening their image on the international stage. Through this participation, Oman will work to foster greater cooperation in achieving sustainable development goals, enhancing economic and trade cooperation, and benefiting from future innovations and technologies. This presence at Expo Japan represents a strategic opportunity to enhance its international presence, expand economic and cultural relations, and contribute to building a sustainable and interconnected future, in addition to significantly promoting Japanese tourism to the country. HAIDER AL LAWATI The writer is a Muscat-based economic analyst who previously worked for CBO and OCCI
Ammon
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Ammon
Crown Prince: A pleasure to visit EXPO 2025
Ammon News - His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II posted photos on his official Instagram account Instagram on Wednesday, from his visit to the Japan Expo. "A pleasure to visit EXPO 2025 and attend Jordan National Day, alongside Her Imperial Highness Princess Takamado," the Crown Prince commented on the photos.
Asahi Shimbun
23-04-2025
- Asahi Shimbun
73% of Thai visitors have come to Japan more than once
Three Thai cosplayers visit the Japan Expo held in Bangkok in February. (Eishiro Takeishi) BANGKOK—As foreign tourism becomes increasingly important to the Japanese economy, Thai tourists stand out from the crowd by visiting places off the beaten path and making multiple trips. According to the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), 1.32 million Thai tourists visited Japan in 2019, almost a 10-fold increase over the roughly 140,000 who did so in 2011. While COVID-19 cooled travel temporarily, the number of Thai visitors again topped 1 million in 2023. There are now more Thai tourists coming to Japan than the other way around. A three-day event in Bangkok titled Japan Expo drew about 700,000 people at a shopping mall in early February. In addition to providing Japanese food and other products as well as travel pamphlets, Japanese musicians and idol groups performed at the event. Prefectural governments and Japanese tourism companies set up booths, including one from Aomori Prefecture in northern Japan. Takeshi Isobe ran the booth, and one of his eager visitors was Monrapat Naiyananont, 49, a tax accountant who had a photo of Hotokegaura, a rock formation in the Shimokita Peninsula, which is best viewed from a cruise boat. 'I've been to Japan four times,' Monrapat said. 'Last year, I visited a facility in Aomori that displays items from the Nebuta Festival. This year, I want to see the festival itself as well as visit this site in the photo.' He showed smartphone photos from places he's visited in Japan, such as Kamikochi in Nagano Prefecture; Mount Shiroumadake, which straddles Nagano and Toyama prefectures; and Yutoku Inarijinja shrine in Saga Prefecture, which is well known among Thais because a TV drama and movie have filmed there. 'I've been to South Korea and China once each, but I love Japan because of its nature and people,' Monrapat said. A Thai travel agency had pamphlets about various tours of Japan. According to Dedy, who manned the booth, tours to Hokkaido in winter and to see cherry blossoms in spring were popular. 'The established stops are Tokyo and Mount Fuji, but free time must be set aside for shopping in Shibuya, Shinjuku and outlet malls,' Dedy said. Cosplayers were among the visitors to the Japan Expo. Three women dressed up as characters from a video game recently visited Tokyo. Aom, a 20-year-old student, said, 'While I went to Asakusa and Tokyo Disneyland, I particularly liked Akihabara for the AKB Theater and anime shops.' Hajime Nakasugi, executive director of JNTO's Bangkok office, explained that 73 percent of Thai visitors to Japan have come more than once, with 47 percent having made at least four trips. He added that since many Thai visitors like to post photos on social media, they tend to prefer locations rarely known to other Thais. Because of the spread of Japanese cuisine in Thailand, Nakasugi said many Thais want to taste the real thing when they visit Japan.
Japan Times
14-04-2025
- Business
- Japan Times
As Osaka Expo kicks off, Nippon Ishin continues to hold its breath
The 2025 Osaka Expo — officially known as the Osaka, Kansai, Japan Expo — began Sunday and no one is more relieved, or more concerned about what happens next, than the leaders of Nippon Ishin no Kai. The Osaka and Kansai-centered national opposition party, whose co-leaders are Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura and Lower House member Seiji Maehara, who represents a district in the city of Kyoto, must figure out quickly how to turn the long-troubled event, plagued by cost overruns, labor shortages and a host of concerns about visitor safety, into a financial and political success. For Nippon Ishin, the hope is that the expo will not only serve as a boost to the local economy but also act as a national catalyst for economic growth, even helping Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba play the role of international statesman. 'The United States, South Korea, Russia, Ukraine, Israel, and the Palestinian territories are all in a state of confusion, so I hope the prime minister will make use of the expo as a diplomatic stage,' Nippon Ishin Secretary-General Ryohei Iwatani told Ishiba during Monday's Lower House budget meeting. The party's hopes for the expo are tempered by fears that they'll take the political blame if the event fails. Media polls show little public interest in the event, making it quite difficult to attract the 28.2 million visitors needed — about 150,000 people a day for six months — to ensure it becomes a financial success. In a Mainichi Shimbun poll carried out over the weekend, 87% of respondents said they would not go, or probably won't go, to the expo. In addition, Nippon Ishin appears to lack the public popularity that might help persuade more people to visit. Separate polls show that while the approval rates for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party are not that high, they are still well above those for Nippon Ishin. A weekend poll by Kyodo News showed that the LDP had a support rate of 25.8% while that for Nippon Ishin was just 4.9%. A Yomiuri Shimbun poll between Friday and Sunday, meanwhile, showed a 28% support rate for the LDP but just a 2% score for the opposition party. Nippon Ishin therefore faces a tough political choice. If the expo, which concludes on Oct. 13, ends up in the red, the party will be forced to go, cap in hand, to the central government and request funds to settle at least a portion of the final bill. A third of the expo's funding comes from the central government while the rest is split between the Osaka prefectural and city governments and the corporate community. But if the event turns out to be a failure, the question of who pays what will likely be subject to fierce debate once the curtains come down. The worry for Nippon Ishin is that its supporters, having long been promised that the expo would give at least a ¥2.7 trillion ($19 billion) boost to the overall economy, could rebel against the party at the polls, particularly those in its Osaka base if taxpayers there are told they must bear some of the burden. However, being forced to rely on central government funding to help out if the event loses money could make it more difficult for Nippon Ishin to confront the LDP on policy issues in the run-up to the July Upper House election. That would give other opposition parties — especially the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and the Democratic Party for the People — an opening to attract anti-LDP votes by criticizing Nippon Ishin as being too close to the ruling party. In November 2018, Nippon Ishin celebrated when Osaka was selected to host the 2025 World Expo. As the event begins, however, the problems surrounding it and the lack of public enthusiasm have led the party to wonder if what it once saw as a political boon is turning out to be a major bane that could put a big, even fatal, dent into its credibility.
Euronews
27-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Euronews
Japan: Expo 2025 Osaka gears up to take the world by surprise with its 'resonant society' concept
Expo 2025 in Japan is set to take the world by surprise with its innovations and focus on humanity at a time of sombre global challenges. The Osaka-Kansai Expo's designers presented the global resonance thematic project to the world's elite at a special event during the World Economic Forum in Davos. Outlined as 'a powerful movement of hope, inspiration and progress for the well-being of all humankind', the Japan Expo in Osaka will open in April to spread its theme titled 'Resonance of Lives' around the world. The organisers say the project will 'provide an experience of creating a new world together, in the midst of this profound turning point.' 'The future in a resonance of lives' is the central idea of the Expo, to connect the world to diverse pillars of life, 'working toward the future, resonating with other persons, with nature, and with the world. Professor Miyata Hiroaki is a global thinker whose vision of society is at the heart of the Expo 2025 concept. Through his research in social reform, he promotes a new vision of society, resonant with diversity, where 'each individual shines through experiencing that world with others' Professor Miyata outlined his vision for the Expo and its core theme of a 'resonant society' in an interview with Euronews at the main Japanese event within the World Economic Forum in Davos. The organisers of Expo 2025 call the thematic project as 'a laboratory for a future society', where visitors will not only view exhibits, but also join the vision of co-creating a future society in – as the organisers outline it – 'a place where the world's knowledge such as cutting-edge technology will be brought together, used to create new ideas, and shared, all to help resolve global issues facing mankind.'
