Ukraine will participate in the 2025 Osaka World Expo to convey a “message of peace”

Ukraine will participate in the 2025 World Expo in Japan, despite financial challenges from the Russian invasion, to carry a “message of peace”announced an event manager.

To date, 161 countries have confirmed their participation in the event, scheduled to take place over six months starting April 13, 2025 in Osaka, western Japan. On the other hand, Russia is not among the guests. Organizers aim to welcome more than 28 million visitors, but with only 7.3 million tickets sold in November, Japanese authorities are seeking to intensify their communication, particularly towards European visitors. “Many European exhibitions will address various subjects such as green energy or climate change. We want to highlight them to attract the European public. Communication will be one of the main challenges to overcome”said Hirofumi Yoshimura, governor of Osaka. “Ukraine's participation, although it faces an extremely difficult situation, is significant because it brings peace”he added from Paris on Tuesday.

Osaka for history

The very first Universal Exhibition, celebrating culture and industrial progress, was held in London in 1851, inaugurating a tradition that would mark history. Later, for the Paris edition in 1889, the famous Eiffel Tower was built, becoming a world-famous emblem. This meeting of nations has continued to evolve over the years, as evidenced by the Dubai Expo, initially planned for 2020 but ultimately postponed to 2021-2022 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Some editions remain engraved in memories, like that of Osaka in 1970, which has the second best attendance score with 64 million visitors, a record surpassed only by Shanghai in 2010

Organized every five years in different locations, the Universal Exhibition highlights the technological and cultural advances of participating nations. For the 2025 edition, Osaka has erected an impressive “big ring” made of wood, measuring two kilometers in circumference and 20 meters in height, which will surround the entire exhibition. Ukraine, rather than building its own pavilion, plans to occupy a common building made available by Japan, according to statements by its ambassador in Tokyo.