Osaka Expo Expected to Post Profit of Up to 28 B. Yen

Osaka, Oct. 7 (Jiji Press)–The 2025 World Exposition in the western Japan city of Osaka, slated to close next Monday, is expected to generate a profit of up to 28 billion yen, the organizer said Tuesday. The profit expectation was reported at a board meeting of the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition. Robust sales of admission tickets and goods related to the Expo’s official mascot, Myaku-Myaku, have pushed up Expo revenues. As of Friday, a total of about 22 million admission tickets had been sold, surpassing the break-even level of 18 million. The association planned to cover 116 billion yen of Expo management costs with 96.9 billion yen from ticket sales and 19.1 billion yen from goods sales. However, revenues are expected to outpace the plan by 23 billion yen, while expenditures are estimated to be up to 5 billion yen less than planned. As a result, the final surplus is expected to be between 23 and 28 billion yen. The surplus is attributed to “the Expo’s high popularity and many visitors,” the association’s chair, Masakazu Tokura, said at a press conference on Tuesday. “We hope to use (the surplus) to fully convey the significance and legacy of the Expo,” Tokura added. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]