Ticket sales for the ongoing World Expo in Osaka have exceeded 18 million, the break-even point for operating costs, organizers said Monday.
About 18.09 million tickets had been sold as of Friday, according to the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition, which aims to sell 23 million tickets. Weekly sales have been 400,000 to 500,000 tickets since the April 13 opening of the Expo.
Before the opening, ticket sales were sluggish and there were concerns that the Expo would end in the red. But the Italian, U.S. and other foreign pavilions have proven popular, while the event is receiving favorable social media reviews.
The operating costs of the Expo is estimated at ¥116 billion ($785 million), with ¥96.9 billion expected to be covered by admission fee revenue.
But unexpected expenses may arise. The park and ride system, which the Expo introduced to allow visitors to transfer from private cars to shuttle buses to access the venue, may lose several billion yen because of initial low usage, a senior association official said.
In addition, a Japanese government official warned that if the venue is closed due to weather conditions, losses will reach ¥600 million per day.
“Selling 18 million tickets is only one passing point. At this point, I can’t say that we will be profitable,” another senior association official said.
