Explainer | Inside Japan’s Osaka World Expo: Hello Kitty, Gundam and a 2km wooden ring

The Expo 2025 opened in Osaka on Sunday with more than 10,000 people singing Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony to celebrate the start of the six-month event that Japan hopes will unite the world divided by tensions and wars. The Osaka Expo is being held at Yumeshima, which means “dream island”, a reclaimed industrial waste burial site in the Osaka Bay, where participants from more than 160 countries, regions and organisations are showcasing their futuristic exhibits inside some 80 pavilions of unique architecture. “Creating a future society for our lives” is the main theme. It is Osaka’s second Expo after the hugely successful 1970 event that attracted 64 million visitors, a record until Shanghai in 2010. Organisers expect 28 million visitors through mid-October, though ticket sales have been slow, with about 9 million sold in advance, short of an initial target of 14 million. “It’s been 55 years since the last Expo in Osaka. I’ve been looking forward to it,” said Daiki Chiba, who travelled from Sendai, about 900km (560 miles) northeast of Osaka. Many visitors carried Myaku-Myaku mascots or wore clothes matching its colours – red, blue and white – to get in the mood. The Expo comes only four years after Japan struggled to host the no-audience Tokyo Olympics during the coronavirus pandemic. It opens in the wake of trade wars and fears of a global economic downturn sparked by US President Donald Trump’s tariffs, the three-year Russian invasion of Ukraine and Middle East conflicts. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba compared the global tensions to a “national crisis” and said that Trump’s tariffs, especially the 25 per cent duty on automobiles, would be a blow to all industries and Japan’s economy. Still, Japan wants to turn the pinch into a chance. “I think the timing is actually quite fitting,” said Sachiko Yoshimura, head of Expo 2025 global communications. “Holding the Expo now could eventually help to address the divisions in the world … I believe this Expo in Japan might actually lead to stronger international relationships and improvements.” What is the Grand Ring? The iconic ring, designed by architect Sou Fujimoto, is a lattice-like structure encircling the venue and recognised by the Guinness World Records as the largest wooden architecture. It is 20 metres (65 feet) high and has a 2km (1.2-mile) circumference. The costly ring accounted for more than 14 per cent of the Expo’s total spending of 235 billion yen (US$1.64 billion) and has triggered public criticism. The total cost nearly doubled from the initial estimate largely due to the weaker yen, causing construction delays. Several pavilions, including those of Nepal, India, Vietnam and Chile, were not ready for the opening. The ring is supposed to be partially reusable, reflecting the theme of creating a sustainable future. What are the other highlights? Exhibits of cutting-edge technology, such as robots and flying cars, as well as pop culture like Hello Kitty and Gundam, are among the highlights. “The pavilions all look amazing,” said Laurel Sylvester from New Zealand, visiting with her husband and two children. Her family was interested in ocean sustainability and planned to visit the Blue Ocean Dome. She said the boys were “super excited to have their photo with the [big Gundam] robot and some of the interesting tech things that are going on”. A small artificial heart made from induced pluripotent stem cells, or iPS, demonstrated a heartbeat at a Japanese healthcare pavilion. At the Future of Life pavilion, visitors can interact with robots. A human washing machine that was a sensation at the 1970 expo returned with a hi-tech makeover. The US pavilion focuses on space travel. Its lunar stone from the Apollo 12 mission, a sensation at the 1970 expo, was back on display. China, also highlighting space technology, is exhibiting soil samples from its lunar missions. Carrying a “Not for sale” sign and decorated with its blue-and-yellow national flags, Ukraine attracted many visitors with a globe and other items carrying bar codes. By scanning them, visitors can see videos showing people’s lives at war and their reconstruction effort. Dymtro Liuyi, Ukrainian creative director, said his country’s participation was undecided until December due to the war. The preparation was finished Sunday morning, he said, showing blue paint on his fingers. What is Myaku-Myaku? With its blue face encircled by red balls, some of them eyeballs, the mysterious, smiley creature Myaku-Myaku welcomes visitors. The imaginary creature was born from the fusion of cells and water in a small spring in the Kansai region, organisers say. The friendly but clumsy character can supposedly transform into various shapes and is good at finding a rainbow after the rain.

Explainer | Inside Japan’s Osaka World Expo: Hello Kitty, Gundam and a 2km wooden ring

It’s been 55 years since Osaka last hosted an Expo – find out what Japan hopes will makes the 2025 edition a must-see event