With about 600 days left to go, the start of the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Japan Expo is edging ever closer — but the road ahead looks bumpy.
Pavilion construction is way behind schedule, making organizers, corporate sponsors, the construction industry and the central government increasingly worried. As the clock ticks down, a growing number of people are now saying original plans for the pavilions will have to be significantly altered — downsized due to cost, labor and scheduling realities — or that postponement will have to be considered.
Broadly speaking, the expo faces three high hurdles in its dash toward the finish line, and having everything ready for the April 13, 2025, opening.