Osaka Expo seeks to showcase Japan’s success to the world

JAPAN’S hosting of the Summer Olympics during the Covid pandemic was a huge challenge. However, the upcoming Osaka Expo is a potentially standout positive global event in 2025 that could showcase the nation’s success to the world with potentially significant economic dividends.

The origins of modern-day Expos date back to at least the 19th century. Historically, one of the big ones was the 1851 UK Great Exhibition planned by then-Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert. This set the stage for later key events, including 1853 in New York, 1876 in Philadelphia, 1878 in Paris, 1888 in Barcelona, 1889 in Paris, 1891 in Prague, 1893 in Chicago, 1897 in Brussels, 1904 in St. Louis, and 1915 in San Francisco.

In more recent decades, countries have sought to leverage Expos to try to enhance their image on the global stage. This includes the Expos in Brisbane in 1988, and Seville in 1992 which aligned with Spain’s hosting of the Barcelona Summer Olympics that year.