World exhibition opened in Osaka in Japanese | EUROtoday

The Japanese million metropolis Osaka once more organized the world exhibition after 1970. But the curiosity in Japan’s inhabitants has to this point been low, there’s criticism of the prices and the venue.

Expo has been opened in Osaka in Japanese. Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako gave the beginning sign for the world exhibition. The gates open on Sunday for regular guests. The crown prince couple and Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba additionally took half within the opening ceremony broadcast on tv.

The space of ​​the Expo, situated on the unreal island of Yumeshima (in German: dream island), is surrounded by the spectacular “Grand Ring”, a wood development as much as 20 meters excessive and as much as 20 meters excessive – in accordance with the organizers of the most important on the earth. The spectacular constructing is meant to represent the overarching idea of Expo – range and unit.

More than 160 nations, areas and worldwide organizations present their concepts for the central theme “Future Society for our Life” of their pavilions of their pavilions of their pavilions. As with earlier world exhibitions, it’s about sustainability and local weather safety.

So far low curiosity in Japan

In 1970 Osaka was the host of Expo. At that point, greater than 64 million guests got here. This time, in accordance with the newest data, the organizers count on round 28 million. But the curiosity in Japan’s inhabitants has to this point been low. As a purpose, critics point out that the expo-topic is imprecise and too large.

Another level of criticism is the prices which have nearly doubled to 1.4 billion euros. Among different issues, elevated materials costs are talked about as the explanation. “We residents of Osaka do not need the Expo. During the pandemic we had the highest death rate of Japan because there are far too few public hospitals,” mentioned Yoshiyasu Yamakawa in an illustration in entrance of the city corridor in Osaka. “A large construction project like the Expo doesn’t help us at all.”

Criticism of the venue on the unreal island

The synthetic island of Yumeshima, initially a landfill, is totally unsuitable for a fantastic occasion, activist Akiko Ohguchi argued. “The island drops by about seven centimeters every year. The floor is very soft and the weight of the buildings sinks more.”

Because Yumeshima was used as a landfill, excessive -inflammatory methane can escape. A yr in the past, Funken triggered an explosion throughout welding work. Critics additionally identified the chance that tens of hundreds of holiday makers on the island, which is simply accessible to a restricted extent, could possibly be included in an earthquake catastrophe. Precautionary measures needed to be taken accordingly.

Hosts imagine in success

Sachiko Yoshimura from the PR division of the Expo in flip believes {that a} world exhibition is essential now. “Unfortunately, there are many wars. The world is shared. But right now it is important to get together despite all the problems to talk to each other. This will open up new perspectives.”

The organizers imagine that curiosity in Expo will nonetheless improve. This ought to guarantee sights resembling speaking robots or a “flying car”. Japan presents itself within the largest Pavilion of the Expo. It installs a state -of -the -art biogas plant wherein waste is transformed into vitality with the assistance of algae.

German pavilion with a deal with Circular financial system

The German pavilion, which consists of a number of cylindrical wood buildings and is inexperienced, can be about round financial system. The Federal Ministry of Economics is essential when he appeared in Japan to persuade guests to German know-how with out moralizing.

“It’s not about walking through the world with a raised index finger,” says General Commissioner Patrick Specht. One needed to convey the subject in a playful means. On interactive shows, guests learn the way sustainable cities can seem like what Germany’s financial system and analysis establishments have already got to supply in improvements and concepts and what everybody can contribute to on a regular basis life.

Like the “Grand Ring”, the pavilion was designed in such a means that it may be dismantled and the fabric may be reused elsewhere.

An enormous lodge resort with on line casino is being constructed on the Expo website after the world exhibition. A venture that within the eyes of the Expo opponents doesn’t precisely stand for sustainability or may even characterize a society of the longer term.

With data from Thorsten Iffland, ARD Tokyo, Zzt. Osaka.