The world convenes in Japan for Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai
Fifty-five years after hosting Expo 1970, Osaka is once again set to welcome the world as the curtain lifts on Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai this weekend. The World Expo’s opening ceremony, taking place on Yumeshima Island in Osaka Bay, will kick off at 2pm JST on 12 April and will be broadcast live in Japan and online.
Japan’s Imperial Family will take part in the inauguration of the World Expo, which brings together over 160 countries, international organisations, and hundreds of national participants. The Prime Minister of Japan, Shigeru Ishiba, will attend the ceremony, alongside the Secretary General of the BIE, Dimitri S. Kerkentzes, and dignitaries representing International Participants.
The Expo site will open to the public at 9am JST on 13 April, for the first of 184 days of interactive experiences, cultural connections and the discovery of innovations that will shape tomorrow’s world. The Expo is open seven days a week from 9am to 10pm, offering visitors the chance to explore captivating pavilions, learn about groundbreaking advancements, attend spectacular performances and indulge in a rich culinary journey.
The Secretary General of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), Dimitri S. Kerkentzes stated: “Fifty-five years ago, Expo 1970 Osaka showcased a world in transformation, where new technologies redefined societies and connected lives. Now, countries are convening once again in Osaka to share their perspectives and engage in meaningful dialogue to shape a better future for all.”
Organised under the theme “Designing Future Society for Our Lives”, Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai is set to welcome tens of millions of visitors between 13 April and 13 October 2025. The Expo is taking place on a 155-hectare site dominated by the Grand Ring, the largest wooden structure in the world with a circumference of two kilometres within which international pavilions are located. Pavilions are situated in one of three districts reflecting the Expo’s subthemes: Saving Lives, Empowering Lives and Connecting Lives.
World Expos, officially known as International Registered Exhibitions, are global gatherings of nations addressing universal challenges of our time. These unparalleled global events offer a journey inside a chosen theme through engaging and immersive activities.
The most recent World Expo, Expo 2020 Dubai, took place under the theme “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future”, and received over 24 million visits before concluding on 31 March 2022. Following Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai, the next World Expo will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, between 1 October 2030 and 31 March 2031, under the theme “Foresight for Tomorrow”.
Japan is a founding member of the BIE. In 1970, Japan hosted Asia’s first World Expo in Osaka, attracting over 64 million visitors, making it the most visited Expo of the twentieth century. Since then, Japan has successfully organised Specialised Expo 1975 Okinawa, Specialised Expo 1985 Tsukuba, Horticultural Expo 1990 Osaka, and World Expo 2005 Aichi. In 2027, Japan will host a Horticultural Expo in Yokohama under the theme “Scenery of the Future for Happiness”.
-BreakingTravelNews
