Ishiba Vows to Make Success of Osaka Expo

Tokyo, Jan. 18 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has vowed to make a success of the World Exposition to be held in the western Japan city of Osaka for six months from mid-April.

At a meeting with Dimitri Kerkentzes, visiting secretary-general of the Paris-based Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), at the prime minister’s office in Tokyo on Friday, Ishiba said: “We absolutely want the Expo to be a success. We will do our best to communicate (the attractions of) not only Osaka but also Japan as a whole to the world.”

The meeting was held behind closed doors except for the opening part.

Kerkentzes told reporters after the meeting that he informed Ishiba of progress regarding the construction and operations of the Expo venue. Preparations are fully underway, Kerkentzes added.

On the fact that sales of advance tickets for the Expo stood at some 7.5 million, just over 50 pct of the target, as of Jan. 8, Kerkentzes said that it is important to continue promotion activities around Japan and across the world.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]