(13 Apr 2025)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Osaka, Japan – 13 April 2025
1. Ribbon cutting ceremony to mark opening day of Osaka Expo 2025
2. First set of visitors pass through the gates at the expo site
3. Various of visitoers
4. Official Expo mascot Myakumyaku greets visitors
5. VIP guests greet first set of visitors
6. The Grand Ring
7. USA Pavilion
8. SOUNDBITE (Japanese), Daiki Chiba, travelled from Sendai for the opening day:
“(I came on the first day) because it’s been 55 years since the last expo in Osaka, and I’ve been looking forward to it.”
9. Various of people posing in front of Myakumyaku display
10. Crowds entering the expo site
11. SOUNDBITE (Japanese), Daiki Chiba, travelled from Sendai for the opening day:
“The atmosphere became more excited since a week ago. Walking in the city centre, you feel the difference.”
12. Exterior of the Grand Ring, with official mascot
13. Volunteers hold ‘Welcome’ sign
STORYLINE:
Expo 2025 Osaka officially opened on Sunday with the theme of life, world and the future, and Japan hopes to bring unity and portray a future society.
Hundreds of people braved the rain and queued outside the gates ahead of the opening.
"’It’s been 55 years since the last expo in Osaka, and I’ve been looking forward to it," said Daiki Chiba, who has travelled from Sendai, more than 800 kilometres (497 miles) away from Osaka, for the opening day.
It is Osaka’s second world expo after the 1970 event that scored a huge success and attracted 64 million visitors — a record until Shanghai in 2010.
This time, Japan has faced dwindling public interest, and support and was hit by soaring construction costs due to the weaker yen. The cost nearly doubled from the initial estimate to 235 billion yen ($1.64 billion), about 14% of which went to the ring, triggering criticisms from many Japanese over the government’s use of their tax money.
AP video shot by: Ayaka McGill
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