Osaka 2025 Expo Bid Promoted at U.N.

July 17, 2018

New York- An event was held at the U.N. headquarters in New York on Monday to promote a bid by the western Japan city of Osaka to host the 2025 World Expo.

Osaka Mayor Hirofumi Yoshimura and Mitsunari Okamoto, Japanese parliamentary vice foreign minister, promoted the city to foreign diplomats.

The event was also attended by Pikachu, the leading character of the popular Japanese video game series Pokemon and a special envoy for Osaka's expo bid.

Hosting the expo "will give a boost to Japan's economy," Yoshimura told reporters after the event.

Osaka hopes to improve economic levels in Japan through the expo, he stressed.

Pickachu's appearance was good in the sense that it makes people around the world smile, the mayor said, referring to the logo indicating "a circle of smiles" that is used for Osaka's expo bid. Jiji Press