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The Mainichi
7 days ago
- The Mainichi
Thousands queue online daily for 1st-come, 1st-served advance tix for 'no line' Osaka Expo
OSAKA -- Two months into Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, ticket sales have picked up, with daily visitor numbers trending upward. Every day at around midnight, the expo association's reservation website gets flooded with people seeking available slots for reservable pavilions and events, pushing many into an online "waiting room." Why, despite the Expo boasting of having "no lineups," are people queuing online? This reporter also experienced the issue in late May. When attempting to reserve spots to see a pavilion with a friend during time off, it took about 30 minutes to log in after trying to do so around 10 p.m. However, I ended up logging out at one point, and tried to log back in close to midnight. I was then shown a message onscreen saying that I'd have to wait my turn. I was also informed that 67,369 people were ahead of me, and that it'd take over an hour. Since the system has a feature allowing others to reserve on their behalf, I left it up to a friend who had tried to log in at around the same time. However, an error occurred, and by the time it cleared up, the pavilion we wished to see had been fully booked. Lottery system in place for advance bookings, yet ... The Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition has called the Expo a "no-wait expo," adopting e-tickets and advance reservations for entry in principle. Visitors must obtain an Expo ID through the official website, purchase tickets and then reserve their desired date and time of entry. As well, reservations must also be made for certain pavilions and Expo events. Drawings for pavilion slots and other attractions take place twice: two months in advance and again one week before the visitor's scheduled Expo date. Also, from three days prior until the morning of the day before a ticket-holder arrives, open slots can be reserved on a first-come, first-served basis, triggering users to rush online at midnight. Those failing to secure slots during this period must register for same-day vacancies upon arrival at the venue or line up on-site. Regarding the online congestion, an association official declined to specify exact reasons or any future countermeasures, describing the issue only as "for protecting security." However, the official mentioned that the online "waiting room" had been implemented to prevent massive waves of simultaneous site visits from overloading the system. At a June 9 press conference, someone suggested changing the reservation process for these three-day advance bookings from a first-come, first-served system to a lottery. Hiroyuki Ishige, secretary-general of the association, responded, "We are not thinking of immediately switching to a lottery." Ticket sales near break-even point Sales of Expo tickets have been picking up since it opened on April 13, accounting for around 3.75 million -- or nearly 30% -- of the some 13.44 million total tickets bought since sales launched in November 2023 through June 6 this year. This total remains under 60% of the goal of 23 million, but is nearing the break-even point for operating costs, 18 million. As well, daily visitor numbers, which had been sluggish, have been trending upward, and reached a high of about 170,000 on May 31. Support desk visits also see heavy queuing A growing number of visitors have been using "support desks" to assist with ticket purchases, visitor reservations and other inquiries, and as of May, Osaka's prefectural and municipal governments had installed up to about 10 such desks near major train stations and in large commercial facilities. According to the city and prefecture's Expo promotion bureaus, over 2,000 people per week were visiting the desks with issues related to the complicated reservations system. A support desk in the Namba Walk underground shopping center in Osaka's Chuo Ward was also packed with people holding inquiry tickets from the morning on. A 61-year-old woman from Saitama Prefecture bought paper tickets for the Expo through a travel agent, and has been to the venue six times. Wishing to purchase a pass for the full term, which is an electronic ticket, she came to ask about the procedure, and recalled with disappointment, "I don't have internet in my house and I don't have a smart phone, so they said, 'No, you can't.'" Recognizing that many are having difficulty buying e-tickets, a support desk representative stated, "The bottleneck is the two-step verification required for login and other things. Responding carefully takes 20 to 30 minutes per person, and there is a limit to how many people can be served in a day."
The Mainichi
11-06-2025
- Health
- The Mainichi
Osaka Expo organizers set up task force over legionella outbreak at venue sites
OSAKA -- The hosting organization for the ongoing Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai established a task force on June 10 to respond to the detection of legionella bacteria in excess of guideline levels inside the event's venue. The Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition announced the creation of a water quality management task force the next day. Legionella bacteria have been found in the Water Plaza and a recreational water facility in the Forest of Tranquility area at the site on Yumeshima in Osaka's Konohana Ward. Following advice from the Osaka municipal public health center, the fountain at the Water Plaza was shut down and daytime and evening water shows were suspended. Measures including water drainage were also taken in the Forest of Tranquility area. However, the lateness and other aspects of both the announcement and response have drawn criticism. According to the association, the task force is led by Secretary General Hiroyuki Ishige and comprised of relevant department chiefs. Its goal is to organize the issues and promptly hold meetings to address the situation. The Expo association has also set up a task force to deal with a mass outbreak of chironomids, or non-biting midges -- winged insects that resemble mosquitoes.
Winnipeg Free Press
09-06-2025
- Health
- Winnipeg Free Press
Japan's Osaka Expo temporarily suspends water shows after high levels of bacteria detected
TOKYO (AP) — Popular daily fountain shows and a shallow pool area at Expo 2025 in Osaka have been temporarily suspended due to bacterial contamination that required cleaning and safety checks, the event organisers said on Monday. The aquatic show at the Water Plaza has been suspended since June 4 when legionella bacteria of up to 20 times the legal limit was detected in the water, a week after lower levels of contamination had been found. Another water area, called the Forest of Tranquility — a shallow reservoir over 2.3 hectares (5.7 acres) where visitors can soak their feet and relax — has also been closed for cleaning due to the legionella contamination, which can cause pneumonia. The bacteria contamination is the latest problem hitting the Expo site, where swarms of midges have been bothering visitors for weeks. The venue, built on a former industrial waste burial site in the Osaka Bay in western Japan, where methane gas was detected days before the opening in April. The use of insecticides have so far not effectively blocked the midges. Organizers say they now believe the source of the midges is the Water Plaza and that additional measures are under way, such as installing an insect screen. Weekly A weekly look at what's happening in Winnipeg's arts and entertainment scene. Organizers have also taken anti-bacterial measures at the water areas, including increased sanitation, cleaning drainage pipes and increasing water circulation, to improve water quality at the reservoir and get approval for a reopening from the health authorities. Hiroyuki Ishige, secretary general of the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition, said the organizers should have acted more quickly to close down the water area after detecting increased levels of contamination. 'We deeply apologize over the inconveniences we have caused to the visitors who were looking forward to the (water) shows,' Ishige told a media briefing on Monday. Organizers says there has been no reported health issues. The Osaka Expo involves participants from more than 160 countries, regions and organizations who are showcasing their futuristic exhibits. Organizers had expected 28 million visitors through mid-October.
09-06-2025
- Business
Osaka Expo Seeing Strong Ticket Sales
News from Japan Society Jun 9, 2025 11:00 (JST) Osaka, June 9 (Jiji Press)--Ticket sales for the ongoing World Exposition in the city of Osaka, western Japan, have been strong recently. The number of tickets sold in a week has exceeded 500,000 for three consecutive weeks since mid-May. If the current pace continues, total cumulative sales may reach 18.4 million, the level that makes the operation of the six-month Osaka Expo profitable. Meanwhile, the increase in visitors has led to issues such as more frequent long lines. Maintaining visitor satisfaction is now a major challenge, especially because temperatures are set to rise. The Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition aimed to sell 14 million advance tickets by the April 13 start of the Expo. Actual sales fell short of the target, at about 9.7 million, however. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
Osaka Expo Marks Highest Visitor Number on Sat.
News from Japan Jun 2, 2025 09:56 (JST) Osaka, June 2 (Jiji Press)--The ongoing World Exposition in the western Japan city of Osaka attracted 162,000 general visitors on Saturday, marking a new daily record, the organizer said on Sunday. The Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition expects a total of 28.2 million people to visit the event, which is set to run until Oct. 13. To achieve the goal, the event needs to draw 150,000 visitors on average per day. Saturday's number exceeded the target for the first time. Visitor reservations grew on Saturday thanks to music and fireworks attractions, according to the association. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
