World Expo 2025 opens in Japan

The much-anticipated Expo 2025 officially opened on Saturday in Osaka, Japan, with a grand ceremony attended by Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako.

The exhibition will open its doors to visitors on Sunday, and the event was graced by Crown Prince Akishino, Princess Kiko, as well as Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. The opening ceremony was broadcast live on television.

Hosted on the artificial island of Yumeshima, the Expo features the "Grand Ring," a monumental wooden structure stretching two kilometers in length and rising 20 meters.

Organizers claim this structure is the largest of its kind in the world. This impressive building symbolizes the central theme of the Expo: diversity and unity.

Over the course of the next six months, until October 13, over 160 countries, regions, and international organizations will showcase their ideas in pavilions under the main theme: "Designing Future Society for Our Lives."

Organizers expect the Expo to attract around 28 million visitors. However, public interest in Japan has thus far been lower than expected, according to recent surveys.

This marks the second time Osaka has hosted the Expo, the first being in 1970, when the event saw over 64 million visitors.