Japan holds opening ceremony for Osaka Expo ahead of full public start

An opening ceremony was held on Saturday for the 2025 World Exposition in the western Japanese city of Osaka, a day before the global event opens its doors to the public.

Dignitaries, including Emperor Naruhito and Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, attended the ceremony at the expo venue on Yumeshima, an artificial island in Osaka Bay.

Under the theme "Designing Future Society for Our Lives," the expo will run for six months, with more than 160 countries, regions, and international organizations taking part.

Addressing the ceremony, Ishiba said the expo "offers a platform for the people of the world to come together and exchange dialogue," noting "the world, having overcome the coronavirus pandemic, now faces a crisis over many different divisions."

In his speech during the ceremony, Dimitri Kerkentzes, secretary-general of the Bureau International des Expositions, regarded Expo 2025 as a unique opportunity to reimagine a future society where lives are protected through advancements in public health and disaster readiness.

Kerkentzes said human potential is empowered through education and technology, where connections between people and ideas foster a more inclusive and more prosperous world.

The expo will open to the public at 9am local time on Sunday and run for 184 days until October 13. The organizer is expecting a total of 28.2 million visitors, including more than 140,000 on the first day.

The China Pavilion is also set to officially open on Sunday.