FOCUS: Debate Begins on How to Sustain Legacy of Osaka Expo

Osaka, Dec. 29 (Jiji Press)–Debate is underway on how to carry forward the legacy of the 2025 World Exposition in Osaka, western Japan, to ensure that the event does not end up as a one-off success. The Expo was held over six months through Oct. 13 on Yumeshima, an artificial island in Osaka Bay. A total of 158 countries and regions and seven international organizations took part, along with numerous Japanese companies and local governments. Together, they showcased diverse cultures and traditions as well as cutting-edge technologies under the theme “Designing Future Society for Our Lives.” The Expo drew more than 25 million ticketed visitors and is expected to post a surplus of up to 37 billion yen. Park around Grand Ring After the Expo’s closing, the once-bustling venue began to change quickly as demolition work got underway almost immediately. The Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition has asked participating countries and other parties to return their pavilion sites and related plots by April 13, 2026. The association then plans to clear the grounds and hand the site back to the Osaka city government by February 2028. Roughly 200 meters of the northeastern section of the Grand Ring, the symbol of the Expo, will be preserved, provided that inspections confirm there are no problems with its components. The Grand Ring, the world’s largest wooden structure, has a circumference of about 2 kilometers. With careful maintenance and anticorrosion measures, the preserved section will be made safe for visitors to climb onto the roof level. According to a senior Osaka city official, “it will be around the beginning of 2030 when it (the roof level) actually becomes accessible.” The city plans to manage about 33,000 square meters, including the area around the Grand Ring, as a public park. Toward an Integrated Resort District The Osaka city government has announced plans to sell about 500,000 square meters of prime land at the center of the Expo site. The city aims to pursue a development project that carries forward the Expo’s core philosophy while ensuring compatibility with the integrated resort currently under construction on the adjacent site. In collaboration with the Osaka prefectural government, the city solicited development concepts from the private sector and has selected two outstanding proposals. Officials plan to formally invite applications from developers around the spring of 2026. The local governments plan to open the Osaka IR around autumn 2030 as Japan’s first large-scale complex to incorporate a casino. Expectations are high that the development will attract affluent international visitors and act as a catalyst for regional economic growth. Among the leading proposals, one envisions the construction of a racing circuit and a large-scale arena, while the other outlines a world-class luxury resort featuring a water park. Both concepts are considered highly compatible with the IR project. At the same time, there is growing momentum behind efforts to bring Formula 1 racing to Osaka. Concern from Business Circles Meanwhile, concerns about the redevelopment plans for the Expo site have emerged within the business community, which covered one-third of the cost of constructing the venue. “I was astonished to hear Osaka Prefecture and the city say they would sell off the site,” Masayoshi Matsumoto, chairman of the Kansai Economic Federation, said. “The city should at least manage part of the site and preserve the character of the Expo.” Matsumoto has proposed establishing a forum for discussions between the public and private sectors. He has also suggested building a museum to pass the legacy of the Expo on to future generations. The Liberal Democratic Party-affiliated group in the Osaka city assembly has warned that, once the 10-year buyback period expires and the site can be resold without restrictions, it may become difficult to preserve the Expo’s legacy. They also pointed to the possibility that foreign capital could play a major role in any redevelopment. The city government, however, is standing by its plan to sell the land, arguing that “selling is the most common method for disposing of reclaimed land.” Given the scale of the project and its potential to shape Osaka’s future, experts say a more thorough and wide-ranging debate is needed. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]