Japan’s Prime Minister urged the importance of unity in a world plagued by “divisions” at a futuristic but also tradition-steeped opening ceremony for the World Expo on Saturday (April 12, 2025).<\/p>\n

Everything from a Mars meteorite to a beating heart grown from stem cells will be showcased during the six-month event, which opens to the public on Sunday.<\/p>\n

The vast waterfront site in Osaka will host more than 160 countries, regions and organisations.<\/p>\n

“Having overcome the COVID pandemic, the world now faces the crisis over many different divisions,” Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba told the opening ceremony. <\/p>\n

“It is extremely significant that people from all over the world gather and face the question of life in this era, exposing ourselves to state-of-the-art technology and diverse cultures and ways of thinking,” Ishiba said.<\/p>\n

Expo is also known as a World’s Fair and the phenomenon, which brought the Eiffel Tower to Paris, began with London’s 1851 Crystal Palace exhibition and is held every five years.<\/p>\n

Most pavilions \u2014 each more outlandishly designed than the last \u2014 are encircled by the world’s largest wooden architectural structure, a towering latticed “Grand Ring” designed as a symbol of unity.<\/p>\n

An array of colourful imagery symbolising life, birth and nature adorned a massive screen in a minutes-long video at Saturday’s ceremony, with foreign dignitaries and Japan’s royal family in attendance. <\/p>\n

The ceremony displayed a mix of technology, including its AI-powered “virtual human” master of ceremonies, and tradition that included Japanese kabuki dancing and taiko drums.<\/p>\n

Emperor Naruhito said he hopes Expo 2025 will “serve as an opportunity for people worldwide to respect the lives not only of their own but also of others”.<\/p>\n

Heightened security was put to the test hours before the ceremony when a suspicious box was found at the nearby Kyoto train station and reported to police.<\/p>\n

A bomb squad was sent to the scene, causing train delays, but it was found that the box only contained “foreign-made sweets”, according to Japanese media. <\/p>\n

Osaka last hosted the Expo in 1970, when Japan was booming and its technology was the envy of the world. It attracted 64 million people, a record until Shanghai in 2010.<\/p>\n

However, Expos have been criticised for their temporary nature, and Osaka’s man-made island will be cleared to make way for a casino resort after October.<\/p>\n

Only 12.5% of the Grand Ring will be reused, according to Japanese media. Opinion polls also show low levels of enthusiasm for the Expo among the public.<\/p>\n

So far 8.7 million advance tickets have been sold, below the pre-sales target of 14 million.<\/p>\n

Japan is also experiencing a record tourism boom, meaning accommodation in Osaka \u2014 near the hotspot Kyoto, and home to the Universal Studios Japan theme park \u2014 is often fully booked with sky-high prices.<\/p>\n