A total of 1,500 people, including Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, as well as Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and representatives from participating countries, attended the opening ceremony for the Osaka Expo on Saturday at the Shining Hat hall on Yumeshima island.
Under the theme “Designing Future Society for Our Lives,” the major event aims to foster solutions to achieve the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
A total of 158 countries and regions are participating in the expo, and organizers aim to draw about 28.2 million visitors. Its economic benefits are estimated at ¥2.9 trillion.
The expo will open at 9 a.m. on Sunday, and about 140,000 visitors are expected on the first day. In principle, admission tickets are electronic and reserved in advance, but same-day tickets will be available from 4 p.m. for entry after 5 p.m.
As of Friday, three of the 42 foreign pavilions had not been able to open, with Nepal’s pavilion seen as difficult to complete by opening day.
