Young People See Osaka Expo 2025 as Boost for Economy and Japanese Culture

Economy Dec 20, 2023

Despite strong criticism of rising venue construction costs, a recent survey has revealed that nearly 70% of Japanese people aged 17 to 19 are in favor of the World Expo that will be held in Osaka in 2025.

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With less than 500 days left until the start of Osaka Expo 2025, many issues still need to be resolved, including soaring construction costs for the venue and delays in building the overseas pavilions.

The Nippon Foundation regularly conducts surveys to gain better understanding of the opinions held by young people aged 17 to 19 years old and this time they were asked how they felt about the hosting of the World Expo in Osaka. When combined, those who said they were “in favor” (31.4%) and those who said they were “somewhat in favor” (36.7%) meant that nearly 70% of all respondents agreed with holding the event. In contrast, 1.7% answered that they were “opposed” and 4.9% said they were “somewhat opposed” to the event. More young men than young women said that they either were “in favor” or were “opposed” to it, with the men giving fewer noncommittal answers.

When asked why they were in favor, the most common response, with 55.9%, was that they “can expect economic benefits,” followed by 53.2% who saw it as an “opportunity to promote Japanese culture.” On the other hand, among those who were opposed to the Expo, 51.5% said it was because “there are few benefits compared to the amount of budget” and 42.4% who stated that “it’s not appropriate to use such a large budget.”

Respondents were asked for their further thoughts on the cost-effectiveness of the Osaka World Expo. With 16.1% believing it was “good” and 22.9% who thought it was “bad,” it indicated that there were concerns even among those who supported the event.

The survey also revealed that, when asked if they originally knew about the holding of the Expo, 57.2% of respondents said they had heard the news and a further 10.3% knew in more detail. When asked whether they wanted to attend or not, 28.6% said yes, while 22.5% did not want to go.

The nationwide survey, conducted on October 30 and 31, 2023, targeted 1,000 young people aged between 17 and 19 years old. These surveys have been running continually since October 2018 with a focus on examining young people’s values, attitudes toward politics and elections, and understanding of social issues.

Osaka Expo