Myaku-Myaku, the mascot for the 2025 World Exposition in Osaka. (Mainichi)
OSAKA (Kyodo) — More than 1.3 million admission tickets for the World Exposition in Osaka remain unused, less than a month to go before the event ends on Oct. 13, according to the organizer’s data released Monday.
Visiting time slots are almost fully booked until the final day, meaning some people may not be able to use their tickets to enter the venue. And the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition said that it will not refund them in such cases.
The association said it had sold 21.86 million tickets by Friday, while the total number of general visitors by Saturday stood at 20.53 million.
As the end nears, the expo site is becoming increasingly crowded. The number of visitors per day hit a record high of 221,576 on Friday, and over 200,000 people visited daily between Sept. 12 and Sunday.
Cancellations of reservations and the several thousands of on-site tickets sold every day appear to be the last remaining chance for people to experience the international event.
Jun Takashina, deputy secretary general at the association, said Monday at a press conference that the association “had been repeatedly urging people to visit early,” and the lack of available reservation slots does not constitute grounds for a refund.
The association defines the condition for ticket refunds as “cancellations due to reasons attributable to the association or for specific cases to which the association agrees.”
Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura told reporters he is in contact with the association, adding, “It is important to grasp and disclose information on how many people purchased tickets and are struggling to make reservations.”
AloJapan.com