Japan’s World Expo struggles with visitor figures amid slew of bad publicity
Despite hitting 1 million visitors, Osaka Expo 2025 has been plagued by a bomb scare, methane explosion and long queues
To make matters worse, local media headlines have detailed a bomb scare, long queues, a failure of the new subway line, rogue drones, fears of a methane explosion and accusations of bad manners among visitors since the expo’s gates opened on April 13.
In one particularly shocking social media clip, a visitor was caught arguing with a security guard four days after the opening and ordering him to get on his knees to apologise. The guard, in response to repeated shouted demands to “kneel”, does so.
Television and online commentators have spoken out about the viral video, saying it was “embarrassing” to see a Japanese person force an expo employee to grovel.
“We are not sure what happened in that incident, but we are investigating and trying to understand what happened,” an expo official told This Week in Asia.
Organisers are far more keen to highlight the positives of an event that brings together 158 countries and regions from around the world in Japan’s second city.