OSAKA- A business leader in the Kansai western Japan region has sounded bullish on Osaka's bid to host the 2025 World Exposition.

"I've heard that Paris is a little bit ahead of us in the bidding race, but we're competitive enough," Masayoshi Matsumoto, chairman of the Kansai Economic Federation (Kankeiren), said in a recent interview.

"Japan is not lagging," he said, stressing the importance of the public and private sectors working closely together to win the race.

Matsumoto, chairman of Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd, said that Kankeiren intends to join hands with the Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Kansai Association of Corporate Executives to boost the momentum in the region to help Osaka win the competition.

Matsumoto also voiced his hope to see an integrated resort featuring a casino to be established in Kansai, saying, "The World Exposition and an IR will become a leverage to further promote the region's prosperity."

He said that IRs have both merits and demerits, apparently showing concerns about disadvantages such as gambling addiction.

On the negative factors, Matsumoto, who took up the top Kankeiren post in May, said, "We should set up rules while fully learning from experiences around the world." (Jiji Press)