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.
Final Preparations Ahead of Osaka Expo Grand Opening
Local officials and event organizers carried out a series of final checks this week, as The Osaka World Expo prepares to open its doors to the public next week.
After all the years of preparation, numerous controversies, and a seemingly constant struggle against public apathy and opposition, the Expo is finally here and ready to open on April 13th.
Officials remain positive the event will be a success. Also, despite sluggish ticket sales, the governor of Osaka, has suggested that the Osaka Expo organizers consider opening their doors early this Sunday.
At a “dress rehearsal” event last week, many of the 98,000 attendees complained of long queues at entrance gates. Some reported waits of more than an hour. This prompted organizers to reevaluate the entry procedures. However, at time of writing no official statement has been forthcoming regarding a change of opening times.
Dual Challenges for Emergency Services as Osaka Expo Makes Final Preparations
Not all when smoothly for Osaka Expo organizers this week though. There were two separate events over the course of this week that will raise some safety concerns ahead of Sunday’s opening.
Firstly, on the evening of April 4th, a fire broke out in the Brazil pavilion of the Expo.
Thankfully no-one was injured. However the ceiling of the pavilion and some of its electrical cabling were damaged in the fire.
The Brazil pavilion is still undergoing final maintenance checks ahead of its official completion. This fire is likely to set those plans back a few days. However, officials remain optimistic the repairs will be complete in time for the April 13th opening of the Osaka Expo to the public.
Fire wasn’t the only cause for concern at the Expo this week though. In other news, inspectors detected potentially dangerous levels of methane gas on-site at the Expo on April 6th. The concentration of the highly flammable gas was such that, according to experts, it could explode if ignited. Firefighters attended and the site where the gas was detected, an underground electrical equipment storage area was opened up for ventilation.
This is not the first time that the Osaka Expo has had to contend with the potential dangers of methane gas. In March 2024, there was a minor explosion on site due to an accumulation of methane gas under a restroom floor. Subsequently, organizers invested 3.2 billion yen in ventilation and other safety systems to combat the gas.
Government Eyes Handout Amid US Sanctions
There is concern growing in Japan about a global trade war. US President Trump’s decision to impose large tariffs on a host of countries, including long-term allies like Japan has many worried. Osaka citizens too expressed concerns about the impact such costs could have on the local economy.
To that end, the central government announced this week that it was considering giving a handout to citizens to help offset the costs. The figure mentioned is somewhere in the range of 30-50000 yen per person.
However, government officials would not comment on when this would happen or who exactly would be eligible.
The government enacted a similar plan during the Covid 19 pandemic in 2020, when every resident of Japan received 100,000 yen as a one-off payment to help with additional costs incurred by the pandemic.
The strategy was criticized at the time for its scattershot nature and lack of means testing.
The government will be aware of these concerns ahead of any new handout.
However, they now some breathing space, with President Trump announcing today that, with the exception of China, all additional tariffs have been postponed for 90 days.
And Finally
Osaka will welcome some more international footballing guests this summer. Gamba Osaka previously hosted Scottish Champions Celtic in the summer of 2023. European opposition will once again return to the Panasonic Stadium this summer.
French side Stade Reims, who boast Japanese national team regulars Junya Ito, Keito Nakamura and Hiroki Sekine amongst their ranks will play two friendly matches in Japan during the summer months.
The French Ligue Un side will play Kashiwa Reysol in Chiba Prefecture on July 30th. They’ll then head down to Kansai to play Gamba on August 2nd.
Ticket information and kick off times will be announced soon.
That’s all for now but be sure to check back again same time next week for another round of this week in Osaka!
