Expo 2025 Osaka-Kansai was originally a grand international event, but it has been drifting away due to a series of problems.
In the early days of preparations for the Expo, Osaka Governor Yoshimura was looking forward to the creation of dazzling pavilions from all over the world. However, as time passed, his mood gradually changed from joy to worry.
Preparations for the World Expo are progressing slowly, with the construction of the main pavilions seriously lagging behind, and with the exception of South Korea, which has submitted an application for a permit to build a temporary building, other major countries and regions in the world are waiting.
For Osaka Governor Yoshimura, this is a sign that cannot be ignored, and he is beginning to worry that some exhibitors may change their minds and choose to host the expo on their own in other places or even in open spaces, or simply abandon it.
Among the more than 150 exhibitors, only about 50 countries and regions have chosen the A-category pavilion, including major countries such as China and the United States. This choice was desired by the organizers of the Osaka Expo, as the Class A pavilion not only had the best visual effect, but also brought more profits to the organizers.
The construction of the Class A pavilion was not all smooth sailing, with exhibitors needing to get in touch with a local Japanese building contractor company and taking months to apply for a building permit.
As of late July and early August this year, the city of Osaka** had not even issued a construction permit, with less than two years left before the opening date of the Osaka Expo (April 13, 2025).
There are many reasons for this, including the inefficiency of the Japanese bureaucracy, expensive building materials, and a shortage of workers. In particular, the Japanese bureaucracy is reluctant to hand over Expo-related work to foreign contractors.
From building materials to construction, from security inspection to acceptance, everything is firmly in their own hands, which makes the construction cost of the main pavilion of the Osaka World Expo continue to rise.
Japan's construction market is also highly closed, with high material and labor costs, coupled with multiple negative factors such as the new crown epidemic, the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the US interest rate hike, the impact of global inflation has further pushed up the cost of the construction market.
For exhibitors, these issues led to difficult negotiations with Japanese contractors, as the Osaka Expo venues were already far over budget. This series of problems has aroused dissatisfaction and doubts among the Japanese people. In Japan, some people have questioned the need to hold large-scale events even in an era of declining populations.
One commentator noted: "In an era of high economic growth, Japan's hosting of the Olympics and the World Expo may indeed be of great significance, as they are symbols of Japan's national prosperity." Today's Japan, however, has lost that dynamism. ”
At the same time, the international community has begun to express concern about Japan's approach. Some countries say that forcing the Expo could lead to a loss of trust in the world. It was suggested that the cost of the event could be used to provide humanitarian aid to Ukraine and Gaza. This view raises questions about Japan's role on the international stage.
In this context, a news article published on Yahoo Japan sparked heated discussions among netizens. According to the report, the cost of the venue for the Osaka World Expo is as high as 235 billion yen, which is 1 more than the original cost9 times, which caused doubts among the people.
In the comment area, many netizens expressed their dissatisfaction with the way ** was handled: "Such a huge amount of money, but there is no corresponding management plan, I don't know who should be held responsible, and I don't know how to take responsibility, don't you think such a political atmosphere is too strange?."”
At the same time, representatives of the Osaka Restoration insisted that they would continue to host the Expo. However, the responses in the comments section were overwhelmingly negative, with some calling for Osaka citizens to take action against the Expo and the casino project.
The development of this event is reminiscent of some of the controversies during the Tokyo Olympics two years ago. At that time, in order to include all the audiovisual income of the Olympic Games, the Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee once issued an extremely strange regulation.
The regulations stipulate that during the Tokyo Olympics, all spectators who buy tickets to enter the ** event are not allowed to upload the video materials they took on the field to any public platform, which has caused widespread controversy.
This series of questions and controversies makes one wonder what it means for a country to host the World Expo and the Olympic GamesIn an era of a weak economy and a declining population, is it worth investing huge sums of money in such a grand event?These problems are not unique to Japan, but are also being faced by many countries around the world.
Perhaps, it is time to re-examine the meaning of international events and how to prepare and host such events more rationally and responsibly.
At a time when the world is facing multiple challenges, the international community needs more cooperation and rational decision-making, rather than unilaterally chasing superficial glory. Perhaps, Japan and other countries can work together to think of a more pragmatic and feasible plan to present a truly grand event for the world.