Ishiba visits Osaka to inspect expo venue
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba visited the city of Osaka on Sunday to inspect the venue of the World Expo slated to start April 13 for a six-month run.
Ishiba was set to hear from Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura and others about progress in the preparations for the international event, including regarding the construction of pavilions.
It is the first time for Ishiba to visit the expo venue on the artificial island of Yumeshima since he took office last October.
Through the visit, the prime minister aims to boost the level of excitement at a time when the momentum remains weak less than three months to go until the expo opening. Sales of advance tickets have been sluggish, standing at 7.5 million, just over 50% of the target, as of Jan. 8.
The government is stepping up promotion activities, such as installing a stuffed toy of Myaku-Myaku, the official character of the expo, in the lobby of the Prime Minister’s Office in Tokyo.
On Friday, Ishiba met with Dimitri Kerkentzes, secretary-general of the Paris-based Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), at the Prime Minister’s Office, vowing to make the expo a success. “We absolutely want the expo to be a success. We will do our best to communicate (the attractions of) not only Osaka but also Japan as a whole to the world,” Ishiba said.
Kerkentzes told reporters after the meeting that he informed Ishiba of progress regarding the construction and operations of the expo venue. Preparations are fully underway, Kerkentzes added.
Also on Friday, Ishiba assumed the post of “honorary chairman” of the Osaka Expo, Yoshitaka Ito, minister for the event, told a news conference.