Is MYAKU-MYAKU the Unsung Hero of Expo 2025?
Ding-ding! A bell rang out from a shop near the hall, signaling prize winners. An eight-year-old girl from Osaka Prefecture emerged, hugging a plush toy of MYAKU-MYAKU, the Expo's official mascot.
"I want to sleep with it in bed," she said. "At first, I thought, 'What on earth is this?' But it even has eyes on its bottom, and now I think it's cute."
The MYAKU-MYAKU plush lottery guarantees a win. For ¥2,200 JPY (about $165 USD), participants can win one of three sizes: 80 cm (1st prize), 46 cm (2nd prize), or 23 cm (3rd prize). Lines often stretch to more than two hours.
Although MYAKU-MYAKU is now loved by fans, its odd design drew heavy criticism early on. Some called it "gross" and off-putting. A representative from the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition admitted, "Honestly, we didn't expect it to become this popular. It's not only building excitement for the Expo. It's also helping support it financially." Lines of people waiting to enter the merchandise store at the Expo venue — June, Konohana Ward, Osaka City.
The Expo's total operating budget is ¥116 billion (about $780). Of that, ¥96.9 billion, or around 84%, is expected to come from ticket sales. An additional ¥11 billion, or roughly 9.5%, is projected from sales of merchandise, food, and drinks.
To break even, 18.4 million tickets need to be sold. This figure is based on the current weekday adult ticket price of ¥6,000 ($40). As of July 4, ticket sales had reached about 15.54 million.
A senior official said, "We'll definitely surpass the break-even point. The real question now is how far beyond it we can go."
Still, the ultimate goal is to sell 23 million tickets. Many visitors are using unlimited-entry season passes. Discounted summer passes are now available during the school holidays. Whether overall revenue will meet the full profit target remains uncertain.
With ticket revenue still in question, hopes are high for merchandise sales. Official MYAKU-MYAKU goods are produced by licensed companies. Around 7,000 items are available, including popular staples like keychains and sweets. Due to limited supply and strong demand, some items are being resold at steep prices on online auction sites.
Manufacturers pay an 8 to 10% royalty fee to the Association. Part of that goes to Expo intellectual property management bodies. The rest helps cover operational costs.
While the Association hasn't shared exact sales figures, insiders describe the numbers as "very strong." On July 11, the Association announced an expansion of the MYAKU-MYAKU plush lottery. This signaled just how important merchandise sales have become to the Expo's financial success.
About 100 km from the Expo site, at the ferry terminal in Tokushima Port, a few tourists were seen holding tickets labeled "Invitation to Tokushima Prefecture."
These tickets are handed out to visitors at the Tokushima zone of the Expo. They offer one-way travel to Tokushima for a flat ¥500 (about $3). The goal is to encourage Expo attendees to explore the prefecture. As of June 1, about 25,000 tickets had been distributed. However, only 926 had been used.
The Tokushima Expo Promotion Office allocated ¥25 million ($170,000) to support the program, expecting around 7,500 users. With usage currently at just 10%, the office is "hoping for a summer boost.'
The Asia Pacific Institute of Research (APIR) estimates the economic impact could reach ¥3.4 trillion (about $20 billion) if the so-called "Extended Expo" effect takes hold. This refers to visitors going beyond the main venue to explore universities, research centers, and local tourist spots. But the impact outside Osaka remains unclear.
Expo 2025 aims to attract 28.2 million visitors over its duration. That requires a daily average of more than 150,000. According to APIR's Chief Economist Yoshihisa Inada, only four days have surpassed that number since the Expo opened. In fact, attendance declined in late June.
"Achieving the expected economic effect hinges on hitting the attendance targets," Inada said. "There are only three months left. To make this Expo a success, we need more compelling content that encourages repeat visits."
Despite slower-than-expected growth in attendance, long lines still form at the East Gate, which connects directly to a subway station. Popular pavilions remain fully booked. However, visitors have voiced complaints about the heat and crowding.
To increase revenue, improving visitor satisfaction is key. Yet problems like swarms of midges and the detection of Legionella bacteria near water areas have exposed the Association's slow response.
Responding to complaints that "there's nothing to do at night," the Association extended restaurant and shop hours until 9:45 PM starting in July. But to firmly secure profitability, it will need to continue introducing measures that enhance the visitor experience.
( Read the article in Japanese . )
Author: Kohei Inoue, The Sankei Shimbun
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