INTERVIEW: Governor Gives High Marks to Osaka Expo

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Oct 13, 2025 12:15 (JST)

Osaka, Oct. 13 (Jiji Press)–Osaka Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura has given high marks to the 2025 World Exposition in the western Japan prefecture, which ends its six-month run on Monday.

“It is up to the people to judge” whether the Osaka Expo was a success, Yoshimura said in a recent interview with media organizations including Jiji Press.

But he said that the Expo, held on Yumeshima, an artificial island in the city of Osaka, the capital of the prefecture, generated 23 billion to 28 billion yen in surplus from its operations and created “a very large economic effect.”

“We can give it a passing score also because no major accident has occurred,” Yoshimura said, adding, “The Expo was meaningful as it provided children with an opportunity to think about their future and dreams.”

The Grand Ring, a huge wooden structure at the Expo venue and the symbol of the event, which started April 13, is one of its legacies, Yoshimura said, noting, “I think many people (who visited the Expo) felt its overwhelming presence and the message it carries.”

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]

Jiji Press