OSAKA-KANSAI EXPO: AGREE OR DISAGREE
There are a variety of opinions regarding the hosting of the Osaka-Kansai Expo. Among them, there seems to be a considerable difference in sentiment between Osaka, the host city, and Tokyo.
The theme of the exposition is “Designing a Future Society that Shines with Life,” with 160 countries and regions participating and nine international organizations taking part. The national government and private enterprises will build pavilions on Yumeshima, a populated island in Osaka Bay. Flying cars will be used as a means of transportation, and 28.2 million people from Japan and abroad are expected to visit the venue. The centerpiece symbol of the pavilion will be a large roof (ring) with a circumference of 2 km, the size of six Tokyo Domes, and one of the largest wooden structures in the world. The construction cost is estimated to be 35 billion yen.
Furthermore, the construction cost of the venue was 125 billion yen at the time of the initial bid, but the price gradually rose, and by September of this year, the cost had ballooned to 235 billion yen, approximately 1.9 times the original cost. The construction cost is to be borne one-third by the national government, Osaka Prefecture and City, and the business community.
When we interviewed people on the street in Osaka about the Expo, they said, “I think it’s a great idea, but I hope the effects will be even greater than that,” “I agree. I agree. If it will make Osaka more exciting,” “It will be more spectacular than a shabby event,” and “It will help the economy,” were some of the positive responses.
However, when interviewed in Tokyo, they were more positive, saying, “Against. What are we going to show in this era?” “Should we really do this while we have to think about how to use taxpayer money? If you are going to use blood taxes to pay for this, I want you to make it clear,” were some of the more cautious opinions.
Journalist Kazuhiro Aoyama pointed out that “the difference in temperature between Osaka and Tokyo has put the Restoration Association between a rock and a hard place.
When Jiji YouTuber Nanaka Takamatsu asked, “If there is a huge amount of opposition from the public, will you consider quitting in that case?”, Japan Restoration Association Representative Nobuyuki Baba stated clearly, “We will never quit. As for the reason, he replied, “If we stop, we will lose credibility with the world because it is a Japanese national event. Japan will never again be able to put its name to an event that involves the world forever.
Takamatsu asked, “Does public opinion have anything to do with it?” to which Senator Baba responded, “I will continue to explain, and I will do my best to gain your understanding.
Source: NHK
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