Crowds, heat pose challenges as Osaka Expo reaches midway point

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It is estimated that 18 million tickets need to be sold in order for the Expo to break even. As at July 12, over 15 million tickets have been sold.

PHOTO: AFP

OSAKA – July 13 marked three months since the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo opened, and ticket sales have remained strong with more than 10 million visitors.

With the possibility of making a profit in sight, the event, which is halfway through its run, is now facing the challenges of crowds and heat.

“We are, in general, making good progress,” said Mr Hiroyuki Ishige, secretary-general of the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition, at a press conference on July 14. “The summer holiday season is the key to success, and we’d like to increase the number of visitors.”

Before the Expo opened on April 13, advance tickets were not selling well, and since the details of what the pavilions would display were not disclosed, many pointed out that they were not sure what the main attractions were.

However, public interest has since grown as the actual experiences of visitors started spreading on social media. Since then, about two million admission tickets have been sold per month, bringing the total to 15.98 million as at July 12.

The association plans to use the revenue from admission ticket sales to cover 83 per cent, or 96.9 billion yen (S$837 million),of the 116 billion yen it costs to run the Expo.

It is estimated that 18 million tickets need to be sold in order for the Expo to break even, and the actual sales are close to 90 per cent