Japan’s World Expo Osaka is coming to an end on an unexpectedly high note on Monday, having drawn a record 25 million visitors despite initially battling low ticket sales as well as transport and health-related issues.
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While the final count is likely to fall short of the organisers’ original target of 28 million visitors, the event has already surpassed its break-even point of 116 billion yen (US$760 million) in operational costs, according to a Kyodo news agency report.
It is also estimated to have generated tens of billions of yen in additional economic impact, including job creation and tourism.
Osaka Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura, who initially said that “it is up to the people to judge” the success of the expo, gave it top marks, according to a Jiji Press report on Monday.
The expo created “a very large economic effect”, he said, noting that it generated up to 28 billion yen in profit from the sales of tickets, food and merchandising.
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“We can give it a passing score also because no major accident has occurred,” Yoshimura said. “The expo was meaningful as it provided children with an opportunity to think about their future and dreams.”