An aerial view of construction works at the site of the Osaka World Expo, which is set to begin in April 2025 on Yumeshima, a man-made island in Osaka Bay. - AFP
TOKYO: Singapore will be among the first countries to start building its pavilion for the Osaka World Expo, a six-month event that will begin in April 2025.
Construction of the Singapore Pavilion is expected to begin in January 2024, Carrie Kwik, executive director for World Expo and Special Projects at the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), told The Straits Times on Dec 11.
This comes after the Osaka City government granted STB a temporary building permit on Dec 1, she said.
The Osaka World Expo has been plagued by delays: None of the 60 countries and regions due to build their own pavilions for the Expo have started construction, though this was expected to have begun by July 2023.
The event, which will be held from April 13 to Oct 13, 2025, is themed Designing Future Society For Our Lives. It is expected to draw 28 million visitors, including 3.5 million from outside Japan.
Advance ticket sales began on Nov 30, and cost between 4,000 yen (S$37) and 6,700 yen for adults, depending on when they are bought and when they will be used. One-day tickets sold during the event will cost 7,500 yen each.
But the event has been plagued by woes.
Construction is about half a year behind schedule, leading to concerns that the fair cannot open on time. Massive cost overruns also mean organisers will spend twice their initial budget estimates. At least seven in 10 Japanese, according to media polls, are now against the event.
About 160 countries and regions will participate, according to the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition.
Three countries – Mexico, Estonia and Russia – have pulled out of the event.
Of these, 60 countries and regions are due to build their own pavilions. But construction delays due to a labour crunch and supply chain disruptions mean only half of these governments have secured construction companies, and not a single brick has been laid.
The other participants will either be sharing pavilions among multiple countries or regions, or making use of facilities built by Expo organisers.
STB did not directly address ST queries pertaining to the delays.
Singapore’s participation at the Osaka World Expo 2025 is a “valuable opportunity for us to share our nation’s story and innovative spirit” to a global audience, Kwik said.
“The World Expo is also a platform for Singapore enterprises to build their brand and engage potential global business partners,” she said, adding that more details will be made available in due course. - The Straits Times/ANN
