Latest news with #JapanAssociationforthe
29-06-2025
- Business
Osaka Expo Visitors Top 10 M.
News from Japan Society Jun 29, 2025 18:13 (JST) Osaka, June 29 (Jiji Press)--The Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition held a commemorative ceremony Sunday as the total number of visitors, including staff, reached 10 million at the ongoing Expo in Osaka. "The number of customers is increasing more and more, at a faster pace than we thought," Secretary-General Hiroyuki Ishige said during the event in the Expo venue. Kazuhiro Asano, a certified public accountant from Yamagata, became the 10 millionth visitor. Asano, who was visiting with his family, received commemorative gifts including special passes allowing unlimited entries during the summer period. According to the association, the number of general visitors by Saturday was 8.49 million. In addition, 1.37 million people, including pavilion staff and press personnel, entered the venue, bringing the total to about 9.86 million. The Expo started on April 13 for a six-month run. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
Yomiuri Shimbun
24-06-2025
- Business
- Yomiuri Shimbun
22 Mil. Admissions Needed for Osaka-Kansai Expo to Be Profitable, Organizer Says; Average of 130,000 Visitors Necessary Per Day
The 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo can become profitable if the event sees 22 million admissions during its entire run, the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition, which is the organizer of the Expo, said Monday. The association said the Expo needs to see a daily average of about 130,000 visitors from now on to be in the black. The number of visitors to the Expo had often been under 100,000 a day just after opening in April, but the daily number in the past month increased to about 130,000 on average. 'We made a good start,' said Masakazu Tokura, chairperson of the association and honorary chair of the Japan Business Federation (Keidanren), at a press conference on Monday. 'If the pace of increase in the past month continues, [the Expo] can become profitable.' Of the ¥116 billion budget for managing the Expo, admission ticket sales are expected to cover ¥96.9 billion, or more than 80%, of the budget. To break even, 18 million tickets need to be sold. The association aims for 22 million admissions, including those who have passes and enter multiple times during the run of the Expo. The Expo organizer's initial goal in terms of ticket sales was 23 million and expected a total of 28.2 million admissions.
Yomiuri Shimbun
12-06-2025
- Yomiuri Shimbun
2025 Expo Osaka: New Shuttle Bus Route Connecting Osaka City, Expo Site to Launch Mid-Month; Aim to Alleviate Overcrowding on Osaka Metro
Yomiuri Shimbun file photo Yumeshima, where the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo is being held, in Konohana Ward, Osaka OSAKA – The Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition has decided to establish a new shuttle bus route between Osaka City and Yumeshima, the site of the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo. The decision was made during a meeting between association officials. The new bus route will begin operating in the middle of this month to alleviate overcrowding on the Osaka Metro Chuo Line. The new route will connect the Osaka Metro New Tram's Trade Center-mae Station in Nanko, Osaka, with the venue. Reservations are required and buses run one to three times per hour, with a one-way fare costing ¥350. Other transportation options to the Expo site include shuttle buses connecting to JR Sakurajima Station, Shin-Osaka Station and Nankai Namba Station, as well as the Osaka Metro Chuo Line. Currently, however, approximately 70% of visitors use the Osaka Metro. The East Gate, where the metro station is located, is crowded, while the West Gate, where buses arrive and depart, is considerably less crowded.
San Francisco Chronicle
09-06-2025
- Health
- San Francisco Chronicle
Japan's Osaka Expo temporarily suspends water shows after high levels of bacteria detected
TOKYO (AP) — Popular daily fountain shows and a shallow pool area at Expo 2025 in Osaka have been temporarily suspended due to bacterial contamination that required cleaning and safety checks, the event organisers said on Monday. The aquatic show at the Water Plaza has been suspended since June 4 when legionella bacteria of up to 20 times the legal limit was detected in the water, a week after lower levels of contamination had been found. Another water area, called the Forest of Tranquility — a shallow reservoir over 2.3 hectares (5.7 acres) where visitors can soak their feet and relax — has also been closed for cleaning due to the legionella contamination, which can cause pneumonia. The bacteria contamination is the latest problem hitting the Expo site, where swarms of midges have been bothering visitors for weeks. The venue, built on a former industrial waste burial site in the Osaka Bay in western Japan, where methane gas was detected days before the opening in April. The use of insecticides have so far not effectively blocked the midges. Organizers say they now believe the source of the midges is the Water Plaza and that additional measures are under way, such as installing an insect screen. Organizers have also taken anti-bacterial measures at the water areas, including increased sanitation, cleaning drainage pipes and increasing water circulation, to improve water quality at the reservoir and get approval for a reopening from the health authorities. Hiroyuki Ishige, secretary general of the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition, said the organizers should have acted more quickly to close down the water area after detecting increased levels of contamination. 'We deeply apologize over the inconveniences we have caused to the visitors who were looking forward to the (water) shows,' Ishige told a media briefing on Monday. The Osaka Expo involves participants from more than 160 countries, regions and organizations who are showcasing their futuristic exhibits. Organizers had expected 28 million visitors through mid-October.
Yomiuri Shimbun
05-06-2025
- Health
- Yomiuri Shimbun
2025 Expo Osaka: High Levels of Legionella Bacteria Detected at Water Plaza; Fountain Shows Cancelled on Thursday and Friday
The Yomiuri Shimbun The Water Plaza at the Osaka-Kansai Expo site in Osaka, where fountain shows have now been canceled due to the detection of high levels of Legionella bacteria in the water, is seen on Thursday. OSAKA – The Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition announced Wednesday that Legionella bacteria had been detected at very high levels in the Water Plaza, a water feature at the Osaka-Kansai Expo site. The association has decided to cancel the fountain shows scheduled for Thursday and Friday. According to the announcement, the bacteria were detected during a routine inspection conducted by the Osaka city health center on May 26. The association conducted another water quality inspection after cleaning the pipes and taking other measures starting on Saturday, but on Wednesday night they were detected again, at 20 times ordinary levels. The association decided to cancel the fountain shows after receiving advice from the health center. The association has stated that it is not in a position to evaluate the impact on human health. No one has complained of health problems at this stage, it said.
