After six months – 184 days in total – the impressive Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan officially came to a close on Monday October 13. Despite a rocky start marked by a slow construction pace and lukewarm public interest, the world exposition ultimately proved to be a resounding success.
Held on the artificial island of Yumeshima in Osaka Bay, the Expo saw participation from 158 nations and regions. In its final weeks, the event drew more than 200,000 visitors per day, pushing total attendance past 25 million. The Japan Times reports that organisers now expect a profit of up to ¥28 billion.
Merchandise sales, driven largely by the Expo’s beloved mascot Myaku-Myaku, contributed significantly to the revenue – roughly ¥80 billion as of August, according to Kyodo News. Due to its immense popularity, official Expo merch will continue to be sold until March next year, giving latecomers one last chance to pick up a memento while stocks last.
Centred around the theme ‘Designing Future Society for Our Lives’, the Expo was not without its hiccups. Visitors reported several challenges, including difficulties securing pavilion reservations through the lottery system, oppressive summer heat and humidity, and extremely long queues for popular pavilions, with some stretching upwards of three hours and forcing temporary line closures.
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Nevertheless, the event concluded on a celebratory note. The final day’s programme featured a variety of cultural performances, a parade of participating nations and regions, grand fireworks, a breathtaking water and air show, plus a spectacular drone display that culminated in a giant formation of Myaku-Myaku in the sky.
An architectural centrepiece designed by Japanese starchitect Sou Fujimoto, the Grand Ring became the heart and soul of the Expo. The majestic two-kilometre-long wooden structure formed a symbolic circle of unity around the international pavilions. Beyond this heartwarming symbolism, it also provided shade, rest areas and sweeping aerial views across the Expo site. The Ring was even certified by Guinness World Records as the world’s largest wooden architectural structure.
Around 200 metres of the Grand Ring will be preserved as is, while the remaining sections will be dismantled for reuse. However, there’s now a petition calling for the total preservation of the entire structure as a national symbol of Osaka.
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