Work on 2025 World Expo to Start Fully on Yumeshima Island

Osaka, Jan. 6 (Jiji Press)--Construction work and other preparations for the 2025 World Exposition are set to fully start at the event's venue--Yumeshima, an artificial island in Osaka Bay. Yumeshima, which is part of the city of Osaka, western Japan, is now used as a container terminal and for other purposes. But a large part of the 390-hectare island remains unused, with Ichiro Matsui, governor of Osaka Prefecture, calling it "a negative legacy." A 155-hectare portion of Yumeshima will be used for the World Exposition. Of the area, some 30 hectares are now like mudflats. The Osaka municipal government plans to start as early as April this year the reclamation of the mudflat area using 13.6 billion yen earmarked under a supplementary budget, aiming to complete the work in 2022. Subway operator Osaka Metro Co. last month announced plans to extend one of its lines, by 3.2 kilometers, to Yumeshima to link existing Cosmosquare Station and a new station to be built on the island. A 2.3-kilometer portion of the extra section has already been ready. Osaka Metro is now poised to work on the remaining part and the new station, intending to complete the extension by 2024. The company also plans to construct a 55-story building at the new station. The skyscraper, which is slated to open also by 2024, will include offices, restaurants and hotel rooms, according to the plan. In addition, the city of Osaka and the Osaka prefectural government plan to launch an integrated resort including a casino on Yumeshima in 2024. The local governments will soon begin hearings from integrated resort operators and narrow down candidates in summer this year, according to sources familiar with the matter. END