Aichi Expo Mascots Pass Baton to 2025 Successor Myaku-myaku; Judo Gold Medalist Hifumi Abe Offers Boost

The Yomiuri Shimbun

12:54 JST, October 15, 2024

With six months to go until the Osaka-Kansai Expo, commemorative events were held in Tokyo and Osaka on Sunday, featuring an appearance by Olympic gold medalist Hifumi Abe.

At Toranomon Hills in Tokyo’s Minato Ward, Masakazu Tokura, chairman of the Japan Business Federation (Keidanren) and the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition, said, “Construction of the pavilions is moving along, and there is a steady stream of details coming out about the events. I hope to provide information that will get people excited.”

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba also delivered a video message. “The Expo is a great opportunity to show the world what is appealing about Japan. Let’s work together to ensure its success,” he said.

Slides presented at the Tokyo event noted that paper tickets went on sale at convenience stores and other outlets on Sunday, and that holders of any kind of ticket may now reserve a specific date and time of visit.

Abe, 27, and his sister Uta, 24, promoted the pavilions they were looking forward to visiting and said they wanted to visit the Japan Pavilion on the first day of the Expo.

There was also a ceremony in which the official mascots Morizo and Kiccoro from the 2005 Aichi Expo passed a baton to the mascot for the 2025 Expo, Myaku-Myaku.

In Osaka’s Dotonbori district, a 30-second video introducing the Grand Roof and other features of the Expo were shown on the iconic Glico sign on Sunday night.