With Japan hosting the 5-year cycle World Expo 2025, there have been a good number of good deeds and surprises around every corner. With a whole airport rebranded to a Hello Kitty theme, Japan strikes again with a headline-making good deed for this year’s expo.
Japanese native Fumiya Takenawa was recently approved for entry to the World Expo 2025 held in Osaka using a ticket dating back to 1940. The ticket was a memorabilia he had purchased online for the Grand International Exposition of Japan, which was cancelled due to the escalation of the war at the time. Organisers of World Expo 2025 had graciously allowed Takenawa to exchange the old memorabilia ticket for two Expo 2025 passes.
Reportedly, Takenawa is an avid collector of expo-related memorabilia where he bought the 1940 ticket online in March. He tells Mainichi Shibuya Daily, “Expos are bridges of peace. After 85 years, I hope this clears the regrets of the person who couldn’t attend the Expo that they must have been looking forward to“. He also revealed that his main interests were the Czech and Saudi Arabia pavilions.
Interestingly, Takenawa actually lives in Tokyo but he intends to revisit the expo each time he visits his family in Osaka. The World Expo is event held every 5 years in different locations. This year, the event is held in Osaka, Japan and runs from 13th April to 13th October 2025, for a period of six months.
Perhaps Takenawa’s story may inspired others to try their luck with entering the expo with an old ticket. Would you pay a visit to the World Expo in Osaka?
Source: The Mainichi Shibuya Daily
Alyssa Gabrielle contributed to this article
