Each week, here at Osaka.com, we bring you a selection of some of the top stories about Osaka making the local and national news here in Japan. Sometimes it’s serious, sometimes it’s funny, but it’s always direct to you, from Osaka.
Here’s a look at some of the stories hitting the headlines in Osaka this week.
Huge Numbers Defy Weather to Attend Expo Opening
More than 119,000 people attended the first day of the Osaka Expo 2025. The drab weather couldn’t dampen the spirits of visitors as long queues formed for some of the more popular pavilions. Last Sunday was the first official day of operations, with the Expo Opening at 9am. There were a few technical hitches along the way, such as internet issues and some over-crowding in areas.
However, by day two many of the minor problems that affect the Expo opening had been smoothed out.
Organizers said they will continue to monitor and improve services around the Expo as the event progresses.
Among the highlights of the Expo Opening Weekend was a demonstration of a flying car prototype. The automated vehicle reached a height of about 10 meters, much to the delight of the gathered crowd of spectators.
Organizers anticipate high demand for Expo tickets as the event progresses. After this initial Expo opening, the event runs for 6 months, concluding on October 13th.
Expo Opening Causes Hotel Price Surge, Worries about Over-Tourism
The Expo opening ceremonies themselves have gone relatively smoothly. However, Osaka residents and local visitors are concerned about the short term economic and social impact over the course of this summer.
Hotel prices, particularly for those close to the Expo site of Yumeshima, have sky-rocketed in recent days. This is a clear sign of hotels pivoting their targeted customer base towards affluent, foreign tourists.
In recent years, Kyoto has seen a similar trend, and the negative impacts of this remain a point of high contention in the city.
Basically, Osaka residents are worried that too many tourists could make it difficult for those living in the city to comfortably access services such as public transport, restaurants and shops.
Occasional poor manners from some tourists has also been a point of major contention in Kyoto in recent times. Many worry that with the Expo opening, such bad habits may spread to Osaka.
The local government has not commented yet on any countermeasures they may take. Typically, the tourism market in and around Osaka has, up to now, largely self-regulated. However, with recent price hikes seen as a blatant case of price gouging by many local residents, pressure will grow for the authorities to intervene.
There is, of course, also the argument that tourism is like any other free market economy, in that demand dictates price. Hotels and other accommodation providers, naturally, want to maximize their income. After all, the Expo will only run for 6 months.
It’s a fine balance though, as they do not want to alienate local customers in the future.
Nominal Payout in Immigration Abuse Case
There was finally some closure this week for the family of a Peruvian man mistreated by immigration officials in a case that dates back to 2017. The man was restrained and had his hands handcuffed behind his back for over 14 hours causing severe distress and discomfort during a detention procedure.
The man filed a legal claim against immigration officials after he was released from custody in 2020. Sadly however, he passed away in 2023, before the case could come to court. His common-law wife carried forward the case on his behalf.
The judge overseeing the case awarded 100,000 yen in damages to the plaintiff, noting that the immigration officials acted improperly by restraining the man for an extended period without first consulting their supervisor.
The judge however did not share the plaintiff’s assertion that handcuffing the man’s hands behind his back constituted a human rights violation. On this point, the late Peruvian man’s lawyers say they plan to appeal.
For their part, the Immigration Bureaus said they will assess and consider the ruling before deciding how to proceed.
And Finally
There was some good news for Osaka’s economy and indeed the whole country this week, as Japan held trade talks with the US. Since returning to power in January of this year, US President Donald Trump has raised anxiety levels around the economic world with his proposed huge tariffs on other countries, including long term allies like Japan.
However, whilst there was no official announcement, at the conclusion of talks with a Japanese government trade delegation, Trump announced on Wednesday there had been “big progress” in the trade talks. The current US government is somewhat unpredictable though, so we may have to wait a while to see if this leads to the tariff exemption that all of Japan is hoping for.
That’s all for now but be sure to check back again same time next week for another round of this week in Osaka!
