Arab News Japan

TOKYO: The Osaka-Kansai Expo, which set a new attendance record on Friday, is not only impressively popular but also has a significant impact. However, some visitors feel it is becoming overcrowded, particularly when trying to access the main pavilions.

On May 23, over 130,000 people attended, surpassing the opening day attendance of 124,339 on April 13, according to the Japan Association for the International Exposition. Initially, visitor numbers ranged between 40,000 and 90,000, but since mid-May, attendance has consistently exceeded 100,000 even on weekdays.

The East Gate, which experiences the highest foot traffic, has been expanded to 1.5 times its original capacity since the opening.

To accommodate more visitors, the Expo has implemented changes such as moving the entry time for ‘night tickets’ up by one hour to 4 PM. Visitors can make same-day reservations for pavilions on the official Expo website, starting 10 minutes after entering the venue. However, due to high demand, it can take up to 90 minutes to access the website and make a reservation.

The Saudi and American pavilions have been among the most popular, often with lines stretching for an hour or more.

At closing time around 8 PM, the nearby train station becomes crowded with visitors hurrying home.

The Expo Association projects that there will be 28.2 million visitors over the six-month period. They plan to request that pavilions requiring reservations implement measures to expand the reservation quota.