Osaka Expo opens in Japan which offers a future vision. Here what to know

Osaka, Japan-The Expo 2025 opened in Osaka on Sunday with more than 10,000 people singing Beethoven’s ninth symphony to celebrate the beginning of the six-month event Japan hopes to unite the world by tension and wars. Here’s what to know about the Expo 2025 Osaka: What is Expo 2025 Osaka about? The Osaka Expo is held at Yumeshima, which means ‘Dream Island’, a recycled industrial waste cemetery in the Osaka Bay, where participants from more than 160 countries, regions and organizations showcase their futuristic exhibitions in about 80 pavillons of unique architecture. ‘Creating a future society for our lives’ is the main theme. This is the second expo of Osaka after the extremely successful 1970 event that attracted 64 million visitors, a record to Shanghai in 2010. Organizers expect 28 million visitors to mid-October, although ticket sales were slowly sold by about 9 million, short of an initial target of 14 million. “It’s been 55 years since the last expo in Osaka. I looked forward to it,” said Daiki Chiba, who traveled from Sendai, about 900 kilometers northeast of Osaka. Many visitors wore Myaku-Myaku-Mascot or wore clothes that matched its colors-red, blue and white-to-get to the mood. What does it mean to keep expo in the midst of world tension. The expo comes just four years after Japan struggled to host the Tokyo Olympics during the Coronavirus pandemic. It opens in the wake of trade wars and the fear of a global economic downturn caused by US President Donald Trump’s rates, three-year-old Russian invasion of Ukraine and Middle East. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba compared the global tension with a ‘national crisis’, saying that Trump’s rates, especially the 25% duty on cars, would be for all industries and Japan’s economy. Still, Japan wants to turn the pinch into a chance. “I think the timing is actually very appropriate,” says Sachiko Yoshimura, head of Expo 2025 Global Communications. ‘If you hold the expo now, it can eventually help to address the division in the world. … I believe that this expo in Japan can actually lead to stronger international relationships and improvements. ‘ What is the big ring? The iconic ring, designed by the architect would Fujimoto, is a grid -like structure that surrounds the venue and recognized by the Guinness World Records as the largest wooden architecture. It is 20 meters high and has a 2 kilometer circumference. The expensive ring covers more than 14% of the total expo of the expo of the expo and caused public criticism. The total cost almost doubled from the initial estimate, largely due to the weaker yen, which caused construction delays. Several pavilions, including those of Nepal, India, Vietnam and Chile, were not ready for the opening. The ring is supposed to be partially reusable, which reflects the theme to create a sustainable future. What are other highlights? Exhibitions of leading technology, such as robots and flying cars, as well as pop culture such as Hello Kitty and Gundam, are one of the highlights. “Pavilions all look incredible,” says Laurel Sylvester of New Zealand and socializing with her husband and two children. Her family is interested in the ocean’s sustainability and plans to visit the Blue Ocean Dome. She said the boys were “very excited to have their photo with the robot and some of the interesting technical things going on.” A small artificial heart made of induced pluripotent stem cells, or IPs, showed a heartbeat at a Japanese pavilion for healthcare. At the future of the Life Pavilion, visitors can deal with robots. A human washing machine that was a sensation at the 1970 expo with a high-tech takeover. The American pavilion focuses on space travel. The Moonstone of the Apollo 12 mission, a sensation at the 1970 Expo, was again seen. China, which also emphasizes spacecraft, exhibits soil samples of its lunar assignments. What is Myaku-Myaku? With his blue face surrounded by red balls, some of their eyeballs welcome, the mysterious, Smiley-being Myaku-Myaku. The imaginary creature was born from the merger of cells and water in a small spring in the Kansai region, the organizers say. The friendly, but clumsy character can change in different shapes and is good for finding a rainbow after the rain. Yamaguchi reports from Tokyo. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without edits to text. First published: 13 Apr 2025, 04:23 pm Ist