Japanese leader says he hopes Osaka expo will help reunite a divided world

OSAKA, Japan (AP) — Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, speaking at Saturday's opening ceremony for the Osaka expo, expressed his hope that the event will help restore global unity in a world plagued by conflicts and trade wars.

“The world, having overcome the coronavirus pandemic, is now threatened by an array of divisions,” Ishiba said. “At a time like this, it is extremely meaningful that people from around the world gather here and discuss the theme of life and experience cutting-edge technology, diverse ideas and culture.”

Expo 2025 Osaka officially opens Sunday, with the theme of life, world and the future, and Japan hopes to bring unity and portray a future society.

But the event's celebrations have been somewhat dampened by U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent tariff threats, which add to global tension and uncertainty, with Russia’s war in Ukraine and conflict in the Middle East dragging on.

Citing the expo's iconic lattice-like wooden “Grand Ring,” which symbolizes unity and encircles the venue, Ishiba said: “I sincerely hope the world will unite again through interactions among countries and visitors in and outside of this ring."

The costly ring, the world's largest wooden architectural structure, is 20 meters (65 feet) high and has a 2-kilometer (1.2-mile) circumference.

During the six-month event on the reclaimed island and industrial waste burial site of Yumeshima, which means dream island, in the Osaka Bay, the city is hosting some 180 countries, regions and organizations showcasing their futuristic exhibits inside of about 80 pavilions of unique designs.

It is Osaka's second world expo after the 1970 event that scored a huge success and attracted 64 million visitors — a record until Shanghai in 2010.

This time, Japan has faced dwindling public interest, and support and was hit by soaring construction costs due to the weaker yen. The cost nearly doubled from the initial estimate to 235 billion yen ($1.64 billion), about 14% of which went to the ring, triggering criticisms from many Japanese over the government's use of their tax money.

The cost increase also caused construction delays for some countries. Several pavilions, including those of Nepal and India, were not quite ready Saturday. Conflicts also affected preparations for Ukraine and the Palestinians. Russia did not participate.

Ticket sales have been slow. So far, 9 million advance tickets had been sold, far short of the organizers' target of 14 million. Organizers hope to have more than 28 million visitors at the event that lasts through Oct. 13.

Emperor Naruhito, in his address at Saturday's opening ceremony, recalled visiting the earlier expo as a fascinating experience for a then 10-year-old prince.

“I vividly remember how excited I was coming across the latest technology, playing with a wireless phone and looking at the moon rock,” brought back by the U.S. Apollo 12 lunar mission, said the emperor, now 65.

Naruhito said he hoped the second Osaka expo would be as successful and expressed hope that children will learn more about people, regions and the world and think about future society by interacting with next-generation technologies and efforts for sustainable future.

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This story corrects target attendance to 28 million, not 280 million.

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Yamaguchi reported from Tokyo.