PRESS CONFERENCE
Jun Takashina, Deputy Secretary General, Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition
15:30-16:30 Friday, November 14, 2025
Language: The speech and Q & A will be in Japanese with English interpretation.
Expo 2025 Osaka – Triumphs, Troubles & Takeaways
The Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan invites international and domestic media representatives to a press conference featuring Mr. Jun Takashina, Director and Deputy Secretary General of the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition, the organizer of the Expo 2025 Osaka. Mr. Takashina will assess the event's successes and problems and their lessons for future national hosts of World Expos.
Held from April to October on the artificial island of Yumeshima in Osaka Bay, the Expo adopted the theme "Designing Future Society for Our Lives” and advanced U.N. Sustainable Development Goals through exhibits on health, sustainability, and innovation. Over 158 countries and regions participated, showcasing technologies from AI-driven healthcare to eco-friendly mobility and addressing issues from climate resilience to digital equity.
Yet, the Expo had a troubled birth. In the lead-up, the event grappled with cost overruns and construction delays. Initially budgeted at around ¥185 billion for site development and operations, expenditures ballooned due to skyrocketing material and labor costs. Public skepticism mounted as pre-event polls showed low popular interest in attending. Early months saw sluggish turnout amid transport glitches and wet weather.
However, the number of visitors surged in the later months, and the Expo now looks likely to have turned a profit. Supporters say the event delivered on its promises. But questions remain that could threaten its legacy. Site reclamation costs still loom, and at least 19 construction subcontractors say they have not been paid hundreds of millions of yen for work on country pavilions.
After what must have been (and continues to be?) a roller-coaster ride for the Expo's organizers, what advice does Mr. Takashina have for officials in Saudi Arabia, where the next World Expo will be held in 2030? After all the ups and downs, a bigger question also remains: Are these global mega-events even really worth it?
How to attend:
Please register by emailing front@fccj.or.jp with your name and the name of your media outlet. FCCJ members should also include their membership number. Doors will open 15 minutes before the event.
How to watch online: https://www.youtube.com/c/FCCJchannel/live
How to ask questions: https://forms.gle/y16W2dX7bHoE4tf57
TV crew: Please make a reservation at front@fccj.or.jp. Doors open for TV crews only at 30 minutes before the event. FCCJ will limit live-streaming of FCCJ-hosted press conferences to Club members only. Non-members will no longer be permitted to live-stream these events. However, non-members may still film for reporting purposes and use footage after the press conference.
Professional Activities Committee