Press Releases

1. On April 11, the Cabinet of Japan approved its applying to host International Registered Exhibition in 2025 in Osaka and its submitting a bid dossier to the Bureau International des Expositions(BIE). In light of this, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs established the "Task Force for Japan's bidding of World Expo 2025" and held the first meeting on the same day. 
2. The task force aimes to share information and build a concensus on the bid activity at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
3. At the beginning of the first meeting, Mr. Kentaro Sonoura, State Minister for Foreign Affairs, the head of the task force stated that Japan needs to work on the bidding process with all its strength of the government, the bureaucracy and the private sector and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should also unitedly make the utmost effort. 
4. The Embassy of Japan in France, where the BIE's headquarter is located, will also establish a task force on April 11 (same day local time) to strengthen information-gathering, lobbying and other aspects of the bid.

[Reference 1] Japan's bid to host World Expo 2025 in Osaka
A report was compiled on the basis of the considerations carried out by business community representatives, experts in various fields, representatives from regional municipalities and others at the "World Expo 2025 Review Panel" from December 2016. On the basis of that report, on April 11 the Cabinet approved its applying to host World Expo 2025 in Osaka and its submitting a bid dossier to the BIE. Japan will become an official candidate after submitting a document declaring its candidacy to the BIE. 

[Reference 2] Members of the Task Force for Japan's 2025 World Exposition Bid 
Task Force Director : State Minister Sonoura 
Task Force Assistant Director : Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs
Task Force Executive Secretary : Director-General of the Economic Affairs Bureau
Members : Deputy Vice-Minister, Minister's Secretariat; Director-General for Cultural Affairs, Minister's Secretariat; Director-General, Foreign Policy Bureau; Director-General, Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau; Director-General, Southeast and Southwest Asian Affairs Department; Director-General, North American Affairs Bureau; Director-General, Latin American and Caribbean Affairs Bureau; Director-General, European Affairs Bureau; Director-General, Middle Eastern and African Affairs Bureau; Director-General, African Affairs Department; Director-General, International Cooperation Bureau.