Osaka World Expo 2025 Opens with Focus on Sustainability and Innovation

Japan's Emperor Naruhito inaugurates the six-month event featuring global collaboration, futuristic technology, and environmental challenges on Yumeshima Island.

The World Expo in Osaka was officially inaugurated on April 12, 2025, with Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako, and other dignitaries attending the opening ceremony.
Held on the artificial island of Yumeshima, the Expo features the iconic 'Grand Ring,' a massive wooden structure symbolizing diversity and unity.
Over 160 countries and organizations are participating, showcasing ideas under the theme 'Designing Future Society for Our Lives,' with a focus on sustainability and climate protection.
Visitor turnout is projected at 28 million, significantly lower than the 64 million who attended the 1970 Osaka Expo, with domestic interest reportedly subdued.
Environmental and safety concerns persist due to Yumeshima's location on a former landfill, raising issues like methane emissions and earthquake vulnerability.