Opening day of Osaka Expo 2025 draws over 100,000 visitors
About 119,000 people visited the Osaka World Expo on its opening day on Sunday, with long lines forming in the rain outside the pavilions, where only a limited number of visitors were allowed in without prior registration, Japan's Kyodo news agency reported, citing Expo 2025 organizers. On Monday, the first weekday after the opening, people lined up in front of the east gate near Yumeshima Station, which is directly connected to the expo site. They came to watch the demonstration flight of the manned "flying car" Hexa, which reached an altitude of about 10 meters and flew for about seven minutes to applause from spectators. The event had to be canceled on Sunday due to bad weather.
The six-month expo on an artificial island in Osaka Bay is expected to attract 158 countries and regions, with some 28.2 million visitors expected, according to the Japan Association of the 2025 World Expo. The expo opened on April 13 with great fanfare, but Kyodo notes that rising hotel prices and a shortage of rooms near the venue are casting a shadow over hopes of attracting more visitors and fueling local concerns about the impact of overtourism. New hotels that have recently opened are mostly high-end, targeting wealthy travelers.
The surge in foreign visitors has strained supply and demand, pushing up prices. The news agency previously reported that Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako arrived in Osaka Prefecture on Friday ahead of the 2025 World Expo and plan to attend the opening ceremony. During their two-day stay in Osaka, the imperial couple visited Yumeshima to see the Grand Ring, the huge wooden roof surrounding the pavilions, as well as the Japan Pavilion and the Osaka Health Pavilion. Crown Prince Akishino and Princess Kiko, as well as Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, also attended the opening ceremony of Expo 2025.
