WORLD EXPO 2025 NEWS「KIZUNA －絆－News letter」

Issued June 12, 2024, Vol.8

We have about 300 days to go until the opening of
the Osaka/Kansai Expo. Many countries have been
holding pavilion presentations and groundbreaking
ceremonies, as well as beginning pavilion
construction. What is more, Expo-related events
are being held in capital cities across the world.
You can really feel the growing enthusiasm––bothin and outside Japan––toward making the Expo asuccess. Let’s all work together to create an
exciting Expo that will inspire hope for the future.
HANEDA Koji,Commissioner General of the 2025
World Exposition in Japan(Ambassador)

See you at the IPM!
Unveiling ceremony of the second JAL MYAKU-MYAKU Jet[Central]From left: MIYASAKA Kumiko, Managing Executive Officer,
Senior Vice President, Western Japan, Japan Airlines Co., Ltd. / TOTTORI
Mitsuko, Representative Director, President, Chief Executive Officer, Japan
Airlines Co., Ltd. / JIMI Hanako, Minister for the World Expo 2025 /ISHIGE Hiroyuki, Secretary General, Japan Association for the 2025 World
Exposition

As one involved in international collaboration
efforts in Kansai, I really sense the enthusiasm forthe Expo among the region’s local residents.
Interest from abroad is growing, and preparations
for overseas pavilions are well underway too.
I am glad to be a part of this wonderful
opportunity that will gather technologies andideas from around the globe and help develop
new solutions to the world’s challenges.

HIMENO Tsutomu,
Ambassador in charge ofKansai region

On June 3, JAL launched its second
MYAKU-MYAKU Jet, featuring adesign inspired by the Expo, forinternational flights primarily
bound for Asia.
We will devote our utmost efforts tobuild momentum for the Expoaround Japan and the world.
My sincere gratitude to everyone
working on the ground!

【The week’s report】
1. Overseas Pavilions Construction Status
June 4: Update on progress of construction of the Belgian Pavilion

From JIMI Hanako

See you at theExpo!

2. Last week’s main events / Schedule for this week and beyond
June 3: Keihanna Expo Kick Off Event held
June 4: MYAKU-MYAKU and Hanshin Tigers collaboration goods unveiled
June 7: Present campaign for admission ticket purchasers announced
June 7: Takenaka Corporation announces completion of construction of the Grand Roof (Ring)
June 9: MYAKU-MYAKU makes a surprise appearance at the Tohoku Kizuna Festival
May 31: Expo-related article published in HIGHLIGHTING Japan
June 3: Embassy of Japan in Australia shares an X post on MYAKU-MYAKU’s Australia trip
3. Sales / Applications
Tickets sold: 2,628,085 (as of June 5) / Volunteers recruited: 55,634 (final figures)© EXPO 2025

Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan Weekly Report (June 4 - June 10)~ 306 days to go！~2024.6.11

1. Official Participants-June 4; The Belgian Pavilion made public the progress of its pavilion. Construction
work, including the foundation and concrete, is making steady progress.

https://www.facebook.com/BelExpo
BelgianPavilion* The theme of the Belgian Pavilion is “water”. The pavilion is divided into three layers expressing thethree phases of water, namely ice, water and steam. Latest life science and healthcare technology will
also be exhibited.

Status of participating countries as of June 6- Number of countries with official participation agreements:- Countries where have been decided their construction companies:- Countries where already handed over the site:- Countries where construction has started:

1102 countries
39 countries
42 countries
31 countries

2. Reports from the past week and plans for the upcoming week- June 3; The kick-off event for the Keihanna Expo was held in Osaka City. Keihanna Expo
will take place in Keihanna Science City located in the border region between Osaka,
Kyoto and Nara and will be held in collaboration with Expo 2025. It will focus on the four
themes of 1) robots, avatars and ICT, 2) well-being, 3) startups and 4) science and art.

https://www.pref.kyoto.jp/bunkaga/smartcity/keihannaexpo
2025.html

https://www.kri.or.jp/project/keihanna_expo_kickoff.html- June 4; Collaboration products (e.g., stuffed toys, face towels) between Hanshin Tigers, thesuper-popular baseball team based in Kansai, and Myaku-Myaku will be available at theExpo official store and the official Hanshin Tigers shop from the beginning of July.

https://expo2025mlo.jp/news/493

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- June 7; The Association announced a bonus campaign for ticket purchasers of the EXPO
2025. Through the Myaku-Myaku-Pon! Campaign, those who purchase the admission
tickets and register the Expo ID by October 6 of this year will be automatically entered ina raffle, with 5,000 people winning upwards of 30,000 yen of electronic money (MyakuPay!) that can be used at the venue as well as special-edition merchandise.

https://www.expo2025.or.jp/news/news20240607-03/- June 7; The assembly work for the Grand Ring was completed in the West Construction
Zone, operated by a consortium led by Takenaka Corporation. The Grand Roof will see fullcompletion this fall, pending work in the two other construction zones.

https://www.takenaka.co.jp/news/2024/06/02/-June 9; Myaku-Myaku made a surprise appearance at the closing event of the Tohoku
Kizuna Festival held in Sendai. The organisers announced that next year's Tohoku Kizuna
Festival will be held at the venue of the Expo 2025.
*Tohoku Kizuna Festival is jointly organised by six cities in the northeastern Tohoku region and commemorates thecamaraderie of survivors from the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011.

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Closing ceremony of the Tohoku Kizuna Festival: the mayor of Sendai with Myaku-Myaku- May 31; The official Japanese government public relations magazine, HIGHLIGHTINGJapan, featured articles on Expo 2025. It introduced Japan Government Pavilion, pavilionsof Thailand and Australia and next-generation technologies such as AI suitcases that can beexperienced at the Expo venue.
https://www.gov-online.go.jp/hlj/ja/may_2024/may_2024-08.html- June 3; The Embassy of Australia posted on X (formerlu Twitter) that Myaku-Myaku
mascot has been traveling in Australia.

https://x.com/jpembassyau/status/
1797511033290211714?s=464

<Upcoming Events>
・June 18:

BIE general meeting (online)

・June 26 – 27: International Participants Meeting in Nara

3. Ticket sales and volunteers- Number of tickets sales: 2,628,085 as of June 5- Total number of volunteers applicants: 55,634 (confirmed figure)* Registration will be expanded from 20,000 initially planned to 30,0005