Photo Gallery: Large crowds brave the rain to enter Osaka World Expo opening

The 2025 World Expo in Japan officially opened in Osaka on Sunday (April 13). Despite the rainy weather early in the morning, it did not dampen the spirits of the large number of visitors. They braved the rain with their umbrellas, queuing up eagerly to enter the venue, creating a spectacular scene. The organizers expect that over 28 million people will visit the Expo during its six-month run.

This year’s World Expo is located on the beautiful man-made island of Yumeshima in Osaka Bay. The theme is “Designing Future Society for Our Lives,” with nearly 160 countries and regions participating in the exhibition. The Expo will last for 184 days, featuring highlights such as national pavilions and test flights of aerial vehicles.

The opening ceremony commenced at 8:30 am on Sunday at the eastern entrance of the Yumeshima venue. Crowds who had been waiting in the rain with umbrellas poured into the park eagerly from 9 am onwards. Fortunately, the sky cleared up slightly at that time, and many people excitedly took photos with the mascot “Maiku.” The venue was packed with people from all over.

Of note, in the morning, over 10,000 people lined up on the barrier-free green roof of the iconic building “Taoyane” at this year’s World Expo, and sang Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” together welcoming visitors. The sight was quite magnificent. However, it was unfortunate that the scheduled Self-Defense Force aerial performance for the opening day was canceled due to the unfavorable weather.

This is the second World Expo held in Osaka since the 1970 World Expo. According to the organizers, the Japan International Exposition Bureau expects the Expo to attract around 28.2 million visitors from home and abroad, a figure significantly lower compared to the attendance at the previous Osaka World Expo.

It is known that the 1970 Osaka World Expo in Japan was considered one of the most successful World Expos. At that time, Japan was experiencing a period of economic prosperity. According to statistics released by the Japanese Ministry of General Affairs, the Expo received over 64 million visitors that year, including 1.7 million foreign tourists, setting a record that stood until it was surpassed by the Shanghai World Expo in 2010.