Osaka Expo to be "compass" to future: Gov Yoshimura

"The Osaka Expo this time will be one aimed at solving social issues, not boosting national prestige," Yoshimura told media outlets including Jiji Press.

"I hope that the Expo will be a compass pointing the way to the future." The prefecture had hosted an Expo in 1970.

On the legacy that this year's Expo may leave behind, Yoshimura said he hopes that technologies displayed at the event, such as a pod for a person to wash in, myocardial sheets made from induced pluripotent stem, or iPS, cells and flying cars, will come to be used in society.

He added that he hopes the answers to the question "What is a 'future society for our lives'?" spreads from Osaka to the rest of Japan and the world.

The Expo will be held on the artificial island of Yumeshima from Sunday until Oct. 13. The main theme is "Designing Future Society for Our Lives."

"If the event is held as planned, we expect to see an economic effect of about 3 trillion yen," Yoshimura said, adding that the event will be considered a success once such an impact is achieved.

He also showed hope that visitors and others will look back at the event as a moment that changed how people live in Japan and how the nation impacts the world.

Despite Yoshimura's high hopes for the event, sales of advance tickets have been sluggish.

Asked about the organizer's goal of operating the event mainly with revenues from ticket sales, Yoshimura said, "We must attain profitability."

"Although advance ticket sales have not reached our target yet, the sales are still higher than those of the (2005) Expo in Aichi Prefecture," he said.

Noting that the "break-even point" in terms of overall admission ticket sales is 18 million tickets, Yoshimura said, "I think we can achieve this because the exhibitions at the Expo are amazing."

"Visitors to the event will have the opportunity to meet people from 158 countries and regions," he said, adding that he hopes visitors will "experience how big of an event" the Expo is.

Japan's Emperor, Empress Visit Osaka Expo Venue

Japan's Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako visited the venue of the World Exposition in Osaka, a city in western Japan, on Friday.

The Imperial couple visited the Grand Ring, the world's largest wooden structure, the Japan Pavilion and the Osaka Healthcare Pavilion.

They were accompanied by Crown Prince Akishino, honorary president of the Expo, and Crown Princess Kiko.

On Saturday, the couples are scheduled to attend the Expo's opening ceremony. 

Japan PM chats with Myaku-Myaku Doll ahead of Osaka Expo

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has found an unlikely friend in a talking doll of Myaku-Myaku, the official mascot of the World Exposition to be held in the western Japanese city of Osaka from Sunday.

Ishiba chatted with the sensor-activated doll, placed at the entrance of the prime minister's office in Tokyo, for about a minute Friday morning.

The doll said it wants to climb the Grand Ring, the iconic ring-shaped wooden roof at the Osaka Expo venue, to which Ishiba responded that the event's opening ceremony will be held on Saturday.

The Myaku-Myaku doll struck up the conversation with the prime minister, telling him as he walked into the office building, "Everybody is your friend and on your side."

Ishiba, who often finds himself isolated within his ruling Liberal Democratic Party, stopped in surprise.

He and the doll chatted more, including about tickets for the Expo, until a secretary urged the prime minister to head to his office.

Ishiba is slated to visit Osaka on Saturday for the opening ceremony.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]

Photo by Reuters