Osaka Expo Struggles with Methane Gas, Traffic Jams, and Heatstroke Risks

“Although there were various concerns, it will be ready in time for the opening.”

The opening of the Osaka-Kansai Expo is less than a week away.

Although there is a strong restoration color to the event, the Expo is a national project.

On April 5th, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba (68) visited the test run, where he inspected the preparations at the venue and the international pavilions. After the inspection, Prime Minister Ishiba gave a strong endorsement, stating:

“While there have been various concerns, it will be ready in time for the opening.”

While the media reports the excitement and wants to say that the momentum is perfect, the reality is that many negative issues remain unresolved.

The first issue revealed during the April 5th test run was that even with a limited number of about 30,000 people selected through a lottery, it took over an hour and a half just to enter the venue. During the actual event, the maximum expected number of daily visitors is 227,000.

“There were concerns raised about the danger of crowds, as the distance from the station to the entrance is too short, leaving no escape route. The stairs at the station caused a bottleneck, and there were concerns that it could lead to accidents. Even though people had reservations, they couldn’t enter smoothly due to baggage checks at the entrance, and there were cases where visitors missed their pavilion reservation times during the test run” (national newspaper reporter).

In the midst of this chaotic test run, on the 6th, the Expo Association announced that methane gas, which could potentially explode, was detected. At around 4 p.m., methane gas was detected at the western side “Green World” zone, where the concentration exceeded the danger level that could lead to an explosion if ignited.

Videos of firefighters working on the scene spread on social media, and an alarm-like buzzer could be heard. After performing natural ventilation, it was confirmed that the gas concentration fell below the danger threshold about an hour later, and the restriction was lifted.

From the Expo staff in the bureau, “It’s time to stop the negative coverage.”

On March 10th, just a short time ago, it was announced that the foundation of the landmark Grand Roof Ring, which will serve as the centerpiece of the Expo site, had been eroded by seawater. Over half of the approximately 1,100 meters of coastal protection around the “Connected Sea” and “Water Plaza,” around 600 meters, had been eroded by seawater.

Even looking at the photos, the sand near the base has been eroded. It’s hard to understand why this issue wasn’t predicted. One can only hope that the Grand Roof Ring won’t collapse like a game of toppling the stick.

However, a staff member from a local TV station in Osaka revealed the complex feelings of the media:

“There are many negative aspects, but it’s becoming difficult to report on them.”

“TV stations have covered the delays in the pavilions and poor ticket sales in their reports. But now, as we approach the start of the Expo next week, TV stations are actually sponsors and participants in the event, with internal departments handling the coordination. Once the event starts, there will be a need to broadcast live reports and do location shoots to boost excitement. The Expo-related departments inside the stations have asked, ‘It would be helpful if you could shift away from negative reports and focus on building excitement.’ So while issues like methane gas leaks are covered briefly as straight news, it’s difficult to cover them in a big way.”

While variety and information programs might send their own crews for coverage, the major TV stations in Kansai generally provide reports that are then broadcast nationwide. If the Osaka stations do not report negative information, it naturally leads to fewer opportunities for those reports to be broadcast nationally.

“The top of the Grand Roof Ring is designed to allow people to walk all the way around, but contrary to its name, it doesn’t have a roof. In the summer, there will likely be heatstroke incidents at the entrance, in the pavilion lines, and on the Grand Roof Ring. On top of that, no one knows when or where methane gas might emerge. If someone were to ignore the rules and light a cigarette nearby, there’s a risk of explosion. Many local elementary school students will be invited to the Expo. Let’s hope there are no major accidents.” (Staff member from the local TV station)

It’s a bitter irony that the TV stations, which are supposed to report the truth, must selectively focus on positive coverage due to their sponsorship involvement.