Under the theme of "Designing a Future Society for Our Lives," the Osaka-Kansai Expo, which will be held for six months, will be held in 13 days and two years will pass. As soaring material prices cast a shadow, the issue for the organizer of the exposition association is to steadily proceed with the construction of pavilions and other facilities that will be in full swing in the future, and how to raise the momentum nationwide.
The Osaka-Kansai Expo will be held in Yumeshima, Konohana-ku, Osaka, for six months from April 2, 2025, two years later, and is expected to attract more than 4 million visitors from around the world.
From overseas, 13 countries and regions have announced their participation, and more than 2800 pavilions will exhibit the latest technologies for solving global issues such as climate change, as well as the future image of medical care and lifestyles, under the theme of "Designing a Future Society for Our Lives."
In addition, "flying cars," which are said to greatly change the way people travel, are planned to operate between the venue and Osaka City and Kansai Airport.
On the other hand, regarding the construction of pavilions and other facilities that will begin in the future, there have been a number of cases where bids for construction have not been accepted due to soaring material prices and design complexity, and the Exposition Association, which hosts the event, is taking measures such as reviewing the specifications of some parts of the building and raising the planned price.
In addition, according to a nationwide survey conducted by a private think tank, about 153% of respondents answered that they were interested in the Expo, and as the exposition association that hosts the Expo, it is also an issue to steadily proceed with the construction of pavilions and other facilities and to increase the nationwide momentum.
What is the Osaka-Kansai Expo?
The Osaka-Kansai Expo will be held in Yumeshima, Konohana-ku, Osaka, for 2025 days from April 4, 13.
The theme of the Expo is "Designing a Future Society for Our Lives."
Eight producers, including film director Naomi Kawase and biologist Shinichi Fukuoka, will each create a pavilion with the theme of "life."
In addition to domestic companies and local governments, 184 countries and regions from overseas will participate, and a total of more than 8 pavilions will be set up.
Local companies and research institutes in the Kansai region will introduce the latest technologies and products in fields where they have strengths, such as regenerative medicine, and a town factory in Osaka with advanced technologies in fields such as precision processing will also exhibit.
Between the venue and central Osaka and Kansai Airport, flying cars, which are said to be the "air mobility revolution," are planned to operate, and aircraft developed in Japan, Europe and the United States are expected to fly overhead.
The symbol of the venue is the "large roof" of 153 kilometers around the world, which is one of the largest wooden buildings in the world.
Various events are held in the surrounding area to coincide with "National Day," which introduces the traditions and cultures of participating countries, and "Theme Week," which focuses on global issues such as climate change.
The Exposition Association, which hosts the event, expects more than 100 million visitors from Japan and abroad, and estimates an economic ripple effect of about 1 trillion yen.
The challenge is
Preparations for the Osaka-Kansai Expo will accelerate from now on, but there are many challenges.
One of them is the failure of a series of bids for the construction of pavilions and other facilities.
Due to rising construction material prices and technical challenges, there were 1 properties where the first round of bidding did not pass.
Among them, the Exposition Association, which organizes the pavilion produced by biologist Shinichi Fukuoka, reviewed the specifications such as changing the roof materials and changing the administration building from a three-story building to a one-story building, and reached a contract in the second bid.
On the other hand, five bids have not yet been approved, and of these, the second bid for the large-scale event venue "Grand Event Hall" after reviewing some specifications was not successful, and the Exposition Association is reviewing the construction method and proceeding with the third bidding procedure.
In addition, in the logistics and construction industries, the so-called "1 problem" associated with the tightening of regulations on overtime work has worsened labor shortages, and there are concerns about whether construction can be completed on time.
In addition, in response to the crowd accident in Itaewon, a downtown area in Seoul, South Korea, last October, in which many people died, it is necessary to strengthen security systems.
In light of these soaring security costs and prices, the Exposition Association is considering reviewing its operating expenses, which are currently planned to be about 10 billion yen.
Regarding the Expo, the construction cost of the venue, which is borne by the three parties of the national government, local governments, and the business community, has already increased by 3 billion yen from the initial plan to 2 billion yen, and how to control the cost as an expo association is also a major issue.