The Universal Expo in Osaka is scheduled in a year, but is currently weighed down by various controversies and difficulties. Local media have been highlighting for months the explosion in construction costs, due to soaring prices and labor shortages in Japan.
The Japanese government, however, has ruled out canceling or postponing the event. The Expo has also been accused by some critics of monopolizing Japan's efforts, at a time when the government should be focusing on rebuilding areas devastated by the January 1 earthquake in the center of the country. The project budget for the organizing country, two-thirds financed by the city of Osaka, its department and the state, was reassessed to 235 billion yen (1.4 billion euros), a jump of 27% compared to the previous estimate in 2020. Organizers are expecting 28.2 million visitors (including 3.5 million from abroad), or more than 4 million at Expo 2020 in Dubai at more than 1.2million tickets. It-ukeo, a strange red and blue extraterrestrial creature with five scattered eyes, is the official mascot.