2025 Expo Osaka: With Only 1 Month Left to Go, Visitors Numbers Are Increasing

The Yomiuri Shimbun

8:00 JST, September 14, 2025

OSAKA — Measures to reduce congestion have been strengthened at the venue of the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo on the artificial island of Yumeshima in Konohana Ward, Osaka, as the number of visitors has been on the rise with only a month left in the event.

A total of 18.54 million general visitors have attended the Expo in the five months since its opening on April 13 through Thursday, according to the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition. Although it would be difficult to draw 28.2 million people over a six-month period, as the association projected, the preliminary figure suggests the Expo received more visitors in the five months since its opening than the 2005 Aichi Expo, which attracted 15.72 million in the same timeframe.

The Aichi Expo attracted 22 million visitors in total.

The number of daily Expo visitors was often just under 100,000 in April, but the attendance on Sept. 6 reached 209,837, topping the 200,000 mark for the first time. Since the number was close to 227,000, a figure the association estimated would be the maximum daily attendance, the number of visitors is expected to increase as the Oct. 13 conclusion of the Expo approaches.

Currently, visitors must book their visiting date and time when purchasing tickets. Reservations for the morning slots on weekdays as well as slots on Saturdays, Sundays and national holidays are mostly full, according to the association. Visitors who have bought tickets but not booked their visiting date and time are advised to quickly make their reservations, since tickets will not be refunded even if they fail to make the reservations.

Tickets are selling well. As of Sept. 5, 20.7 million tickets have been sold, exceeding the break-even point of 18 million. Expo merchandise sales are also growing, making it highly likely to record an operational budget surplus.