[Reporter’s Notebook] The Bare Reality of International Events Witnessed at the Osaka Expo in Japan

During the approximately one week I spent in Osaka, Japan, it was difficult to sense any vibrancy at the site. Even within Japan, the host country, interest in and participation in the Osaka Expo appeared to fall short of expectations. This was contrary to assessments that the event had overcome initial concerns and was now on track. Stepping just outside Yumeshima, where the exhibition halls are located, one could easily question whether this was truly the city hosting the Expo. The Expo promotion booth inside Namba Station, near Dotonbori, the area with the highest foot traffic in the city, was left virtually unattended, with no staff present. Perhaps as a result of extraordinary measures to artificially boost visitor numbers, more than half of the visitors were domestic tourists. The particularly high number of group visits by kindergarteners was evidence of this.

The Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry estimated that the economic impact of this Osaka Expo would reach approximately 29 trillion won. However, this remains only a 'number of hope' that has yet to be realized. Currently, there are assessments that the outlook is uncertain. There have been no groundbreaking new inventions to generate buzz, and the costs have been significant. The Japanese government has poured about 3 trillion won into preparations for this event over the past seven years, but additional construction, maintenance, and repair costs have further increased the overall expenditure.

Of course, the diminished prestige of the Expo itself has also played a role. Although the Expo is called one of the 'three major global mega-events' alongside the Olympics and the World Cup, its status has somewhat declined in recent years. With the advancement of information and communications technology, there is no longer a need to visit the exhibition site in person, and the recent flood of various conventions has provided even more attractions than the Expo itself. The historical significance of being the first venue to showcase inventions that changed civilization?such as the telephone (1876), the light bulb and phonograph (1878), the automobile (1885), the airplane (1904), and the television (1939)?has also faded. It is now more accurate to describe the Expo as closer to a cultural event.

Observing the Japanese Expo brought to mind South Korea. Recently, with the presidential election approaching, candidates have been pledging to fully support the bid for the 2036 Jeonju Summer Olympics. This is largely intended to make up for the failed bid for the Busan Expo last year. There is a strong belief that hosting international events will greatly contribute to balanced regional development.

While it is not appropriate to directly compare the Expo and the Olympics, the fact that large-scale government spending is inevitable at the national level means that the lackluster performance of the Osaka Expo warrants attention. Japan invested 7 trillion won in the Expo in hopes of generating 30 trillion won in economic effects. However, at present, it is difficult to be optimistic about the outcome. Both presidential candidates and the incoming administration must carefully examine the challenges involved in hosting international events.