Regarding the prospect that construction costs for the venue for the Osaka-Kansai Expo to be held next year will be higher than before, Keidanren Chairman Tokura, who heads the Exposition Association, which is the organizer of the Exposition Association, said that the amount is still under scrutiny, and expressed his intention to limit the upside as much as possible.
Keidanren Chairman Tokura, who heads the Exposition Association, and Secretary-General Ishige of the Association held a press conference after the board meeting held in Tokyo on May 29.
The construction cost of the venue for the Osaka-Kansai Expo was previously expected to be 1850 billion yen, but it is known that the Exposition Association is making adjustments to the project, which is about 450 billion yen more than at present, or about 2300 billion yen, against the backdrop of soaring material prices and labor costs.
Regarding this, Chairman Tokura said at a press conference, "We are scrutinizing the construction costs, but I think that a considerable amount of money will be accumulated.
On top of that, bearing in mind that the construction cost of the venue is planned to be borne by one-third by the three parties of the national government, Osaka Prefecture and city, and the business community, he said, "If the level is as reported, the business community will be able to collect it somehow." They expressed their recognition that one-third of the upside could be contributed.
Venue construction cost What was the reaction of the people of Osaka?
We asked about the upside in venue construction costs for the Osaka-Kansai Expo in Umeda, Osaka.
A woman in her 70s from Osaka City who said she had no intention of going to the Expo said, "I think tax money should be used for welfare and other things, not for the Expo."
Another 19-year-old woman from Osaka City who had no intention of going to the Expo said, "I don't really know what the Expo is about, and I don't like the fact that a lot of tax money is spent even if I don't go."
A man in his 30s who lives in Sakai City, who is not sure whether to go to the Expo, said, "I thought the estimate was too sweet.
In addition, a man in his 1970s from Osaka City, who went to the venue more than 10 times at the 60 Osaka Expo, said, "I'm looking forward to the Expo and want to go there.
What is the reaction of people in Tokyo?
At the Osaka-Kansai Expo, we spoke in Shinjuku, Tokyo, about the possibility that the construction cost of the venue will increase and the burden on the public will increase.
A man in his 60s who lives in Tokyo's Koto Ward said, "I think the range of upside is abnormal, but I think there is no choice but to raise construction costs while all prices are rising, because if we do not raise construction costs, we will beat people working in the construction industry."
A female office worker in her 30s said, "I live in Tokyo and I don't think the Expo being held in Osaka has anything to do with me, so I would like you to explain why the construction cost has increased so much from the initial construction cost."
A second-year university student at a university in Tokyo said, "I think it would be difficult to increase the burden on Osaka any further, but for people living in Tokyo, which is not the host city, I think the burden on the government is high."
A female office worker in her 2s said, "I think costs are rising in general, such as prices and personnel costs, but I hope that we will take measures to reduce them as much as possible so that they do not affect household budgets."
Overseas Pavilion Will Preparations Be Ready?
At the Osaka-Kansai Expo, 60 countries are supposed to build pavilions independently at their own expense using a method called "Type A," but delays in preparation have surfaced against the backdrop of soaring material prices.
For the construction of the pavilion, a "basic plan" containing blueprints and a roadmap will be submitted to Osaka City, the host city, but eight countries have submitted it by the 29th.
Only two countries, the Czech Republic and Monaco, have applied for permission to construct temporary buildings to be submitted after the "Basic Plan", and no country has yet started construction.
In order to accelerate preparations, the Exposition Association has proposed a method called "Type X" in which the association erects a prefabricated box-shaped building and entrusts the interior and exterior design to the participating countries.
According to the Exposition Association, as of the 8th, 2 countries are considering construction using this method, but only one country has actually chosen to build in "Type X".
Deputy Secretary General, Exposition Association: "Continued efforts to find points of contact"
In an interview with NHK, Deputy Secretary General Ichi, who is in charge of overseas pavilions at the Exposition Association, stated, "We have not been able to fully reconcile the wishes of both countries and construction companies, and we will continue to make efforts to find points of contact," and expressed his intention to continue to support each country to the extent possible so that construction can proceed.
On the other hand, he said, "From the viewpoint of the public interest of the organization, it is not possible to connect only one specific business operator to work," and it is difficult to connect each country with a specific business due to legal restrictions.
Regarding Type X, he said, "We believe that countries that are very late in preparing for Type X are the way to exhibit realistic pavilions."