- ARAB NEWS
- 22 May 2025
Since 1975
OSAKA: Local media in Japan report daily on the Osaka-Kansai Expo, but they often struggle to come up with something positive, with the latest woes including an insect infestation and the cancelation of a national day.
Expo Association Deputy Secretary General TAKASHIM Jun said the organizers are aware of the presence of “chironomids around the large roof ring and pavilions, mainly around the waterside of the Water Plaza,” and said they are distributing insecticides and spraying foaming agents to inhibit the hatching of insects.
Chironomid expert Dr. YAMAMOTO Nao said that unlike regular mosquitoes, the insects do not bite, nor do they transmit infectious diseases. He believes they will continue to appear until around mid-July with another bout from mid-September.
He suggested countermeasures would be to destroy puddles and water that are the source of infestation, saying it is important to suppress infestation by spraying insecticides to prevent hatching.
Pest control expert TAKAHASHI Hirohide said there was little that could be done: “The chironomid pupae that were in the water have just emerged all at once. As they have weak flying ability, it is thought that the chironomids will breed, lay eggs, and emerge again within the Expo site. The adult lifespan is only a few days, so it is unrealistic to eradicate them once they have emerged.
Some local people say that the area was abundant with wild birds but due to the reclaiming of land for the Expo, these birds have disappeared, leaving the insects with no predators and the freedom to breed unimpeded.
Despite the concerns raised over these insects, 80 percent of surveys conducted on visitors have said they were satisfied with their experience. The number of visitors to date exceeds 3 million.
A representative of the Japan Association for International Expositions revealed that contrary to expectations before the opening, visitors through the East Gate, which is connected directly to Yumeshima Station on the Osaka Metro Chuo Line, have been more than three times greater than the number for the West Gate, leading to fears that the congestion will hinder future visitor growth.
Meanwhile, Nepal’s “National Day” will not take place at Osaka Expo this year, the first time that a national commemorative event has been canceled.
Expo hosts’ a special event for each of the participating countries or regions, but according to an official from Osaka Prefecture, the Nepalese National Day set for May 31st remains on hiatus due to a financial shortage that has held up construction.
