The Osaka Expo ended on Monday following a six-month term with a predicted excess of 23-28 billion yen in operating costs, and this is largely because the sales of the tickets reached over 22 million. With the leaders of the world and organizers of the last splendid event enjoying financial prosperity, there exists a controversy as to the future of the legendary Grand Ring wooden building. The 2,025-meter circumference roof, which is the largest worldwide as a wooden structure, is subject to partial demolition, although increasing demands are being made to leave the entire structure intact.
Financial success masks deeper infrastructure investment concerns
The World Exposition operating expenses reported a very unexpected surplus, and the sale of tickets, merchandise, as well as food and beverage sales, played a role in the positive outcome. Masakazu Tokura, the president of the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition, said that it would spend the excess to pass on the memories of the expo with stakeholders rejoicing in their most key mission of breaking even.
The financial estimates are only the operating costs and not the enormous construction expenditures, which amounted to trillions of yen in the event construction. According to the critics, organizers are proud of their operational profits; however, once the entire cost is the sum of building bonds and interest payments, it is not reflected in the celebratory news.
Over 23 million total visitors have been registered as of Sunday, and the organizers think that the total number of visitors will reach 25 million by the closing ceremony, although this is below the initial 28 million visitor target.
Grand Ring conservation triggers international pressure
The Grand Ring, which was created by the architect Sou Fujimoto and is more than 20 meters above Yumeshima, an artificial island, has become a model for the unity of mankind in the opinion of the participants of the expo. The Tokyo governments of Osaka prefecture and municipalities intend to keep only a 200-meter section of the building, and the rest of the building materials can be recycled into wood chips or used again to restructure housing after the earthquake.
Marc Kuipers, who is the Netherlands consul general in Osaka, opined that the ring needed to be spared by likening the saving of the ring to the conservation of past Osaka expo icons such as the Eiffel Tower in Paris. He encouraged people to sign an online petition initiated by an Osaka high school student and had more than 6,500 signatures requesting the preservation, as opposed to dismantling part of it.
Academic coalition demands comprehensive preservation review
Seven universities in the Kansai area, such as the University of Osaka and Kansai University, wrote letters to the Osaka governments and demanded a reconsideration of their decision to demolish them, and academics suggested alternative funding sources, such as admission fees and crowdfunding.
Sustainable development principles clash with demolition plans
The partial preservation was criticized as mottainai (wasteful) by architect Sou Fujimoto, who believed this was against the theme of sustainable development of the expo. He stressed that the meaning of the ring was complemented by the pavilion personnel and visitor experiences, so that destruction in global terms was not a good idea.
The Tokyo Expo, Osaka, is more of a financial win and conservation quandary and evokes issues over aspirations of economic short-term success against cultural heritage. Although running surpluses stand out as an effective sign of a well-managed event, it is possible to trace more general issues regarding sustainable development and the symbols of international collaboration. This architectural masterpiece will either become a permanent attraction to the history of human accomplishments, together with other renowned buildings such as the Eiffel Tower.