- ARAB NEWS
- 30 Apr 2025
Since 1975
TOKYO: Emperor Naruhito of Japan opened the 2025 World Expo Osaka-Kansai on Saturday and recalled visiting the 1970 Expo, also in Osaka, 55 years ago.
“I was 10 years old at the time,” he said. “I still remember being amazed at the latest technology at the time.”
Naruhito recalled experiencing the pavilions of various countries and contacting people from all over the world at the age of 10. At that time, the big attractions were rocks from the moon and wireless telephones.
He expressed a wish that the children of 2025 will be able to deepen their understanding of countries, regions, and people around the world, and by encountering next-generation technologies they will begin to think about the future of society.
The theme of the Expo is “Designing a Future Society Where Life Shines” and the Emperor said it would be an opportunity for people around the world to respect not only their own lives, but also the lives of those around them.
The Imperial Family and the World Expo have connections going back to 1970 when the Emperor at the time (Hirohito) opened the Osaka Expo, and in 2005 at the Aichi Expo when then-Emperor Akihito and the Crown Prince (now Emperor Naruhito) attended.
A total of 1,500 people attended the ceremony at the Shining Hat hall in the Expo venue on Yumeshima, an artificial island.
Japanese Prime Minister ISHIBA Shigeru also attended the ceremony alongside Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) Secretary General Dimitri S. Kerkentzes and dignitaries representing the international participants.
Dimitri S. Kerkentzes stated: “Fifty-five years ago, Expo 1970 Osaka showcased a world in transformation—where new technologies were redefining societies and bringing people closer together. Today, countries are once again gathering in Osaka to share their visions and engage in dialogue to build a better future for all.”
The 155-hectare site is centered around a massive ring-shaped structure (the “Grand Roof”) with a two-kilometer circumference, making it the largest wooden structure in the world.
The Expo will open at 9 a.m. on Sunday, and about 140,000 visitors are expected on the first day. In principle, admission tickets are electronic and reserved in advance, but same-day tickets will be available from 4 p.m. for entry after 5 p.m.
