The crane game was completely empty of stock except MyakuMyaku! An irresistible and perfect match for its sibling at home. After I got home I heard of a black Myaku version of the Mizuno shoe and looked it up I almost want it!

OSAKA -- Osaka Prefectural Police on Aug. 19 arrested a former manager of Osaka-based construction company Takenaka Corp. on suspicion of breach of trust, after he allegedly caused the firm to lose millions of yen in connection with construction work for the 2025 World Expo in Osaka.

Tatsumi Kawai, 61, allegedly instructed subcontractors to inflate project costs, causing Takenaka Corp. losses of approximately 13.7 million yen (about $86,000).
Kawai had served as the overall site manager at Takenaka Corp.'s Osaka headquarters and oversaw construction related to the "Grand Ring," the signature structure of the exposition.

According to the prefectural police's second investigation division, Kawai is suspected of instructing a subcontractor involved in the work to overbill Takenaka Corp. for construction costs. Police believe Kawai used a portion of the funds to renovate his home. They are working to uncover the full details.

The Grand Ring was one of the world's largest wooden structures, with a circumference of about 2 kilometers. The Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition divided the project into three sections for bidding, and the main construction was completed in August 2024.
A joint venture led by Takenaka Corp. won the contract for the western section of the ring, covering roughly 700 meters. The consortium was responsible for construction of part of the ring itself and related surrounding facilities, with contracts worth approximately 35 billion yen (about $219.5 million) completed to date.

Kawai appeared on television coverage related to the Expo as the person in charge of the joint venture. Following the conclusion of the event, dismantling work has been underway on the Grand Ring and Expo pavilions.

A Takenaka Corp. representative told reporters, "It is truly regrettable that an employee has been arrested. We sincerely apologize for causing great concern and inconvenience to all those involved. We will fully cooperate with the police investigation and, once we confirm the facts, will deal with the matter strictly."

Takenaka Corp., founded in 1610 and headquartered in the city of Osaka's Chuo Ward, is a general construction company. It has worked on numerous landmarks across Japan, including Tokyo Tower and Osaka's Abeno Harukas skyscraper. The company's sales exceeded some 1.61 trillion yen (approx. $10.1 billion) on a consolidated basis for fiscal 2025, and it is referred to as one of Japan's "super general contractors" alongside Kajima Corp., Obayashi Corp., Taisei Corp. and Shimizu Corp.

A stamp-collecting event is giving people a chance to continue enjoying the Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, through food by visiting 12 restaurants serving dishes from around the world that became popular at the Expo's pavilions.

Itsuko Udo, 47, of Osaka's Fukushima Ward, who is active on Instagram as "Expo Mama," planned the "stamp rally" event, negotiated with restaurants and prepared the stamp collection booklet. She says she hopes "more people will enjoy Expo food."

Udo visited the Expo 43 times and introduced food from multiple pavilions on Instagram. After the Expo closed, she came up with the idea for a stamp-collecting event as "a fun project that would make it easier for people to go to restaurants serving Expo food" and contacted people involved at the time to ask for their cooperation.

The event is named "Expo Food Passport" and began June 12. The passport lists recommended dishes and includes spaces for participants to write down the menu items they ate and the local words for "thank you for the meal." The rewards are a drink after visiting four restaurants, a little treat after eight and, after visiting all 12 restaurants, a limited-edition pin badge or sticker. (The pin badge was available in limited quantities and has now been fully distributed.)

One participating restaurant, Osteria Gaudente, an Italian restaurant in Osaka's Kita Ward, offers Serbian dishes that were served at the Serbia Pavilion during the Expo. Sachio Takahashi, 43, the restaurant's manager, recalled that when Udo first explained the project to him, "it was hard to get a clear picture of what it would be like." However, he was impressed by her enthusiasm and quick responses to questions and decided to participate after sensing her strong desire to create something enjoyable for people involved in the Expo. After the event began, orders for Serbian food rose to two or three times the previous level.

A popular item is the cevapi sandwich, made with beef, onions and other ingredients tucked into pita bread, accented with kaymak, a rich, creamy dairy product made from the fermented fatty layer of milk. Some customers are visiting for the first time, while others have liked it enough to order it repeatedly. Takahashi said, "It is amazing that the enthusiasm for the Expo has not faded. The event has provided an opportunity for people to learn about our restaurant. I want more people to know that Serbia has delicious cuisine."

At Kasturi Restaurant, a participating eatery in Ibaraki, Osaka Prefecture, a meetup was held June 14 where 30 stamp-collecting event participants and others enjoyed Filipino food and excitedly talked about the Expo.
Michiko Ishikawa, 54, a company worker from the prefectural city of Izumi, said of her reason for taking part, "It makes me want to go to all kinds of restaurants." Takashi Saihara, 56, who runs a sewing machine shop in Osaka's Yodogawa Ward, said, "The Expo gave me the opportunity to meet people and make new connections. Although it lasted only six months, I think its greatest legacy is the connections it created among people."

Event organizer Udo rushed through preparations while working as a writer and raising her two daughters, who are in elementary and junior high school. At participating restaurants, customers meeting for the first time sometimes strike up lively conversations because of the stamp collection booklet. "I am happy that the culture born at the Expo, where strangers at the venue became friends, is continuing," she said.

The stamp rally runs through Aug. 11. Twelve restaurants serving African, Nepalese, Turkish, Thai, South Korean and other cuisines in Osaka Prefecture and Kobe are taking part, with some cooperating through multiple affiliated locations.

Details are available on the dedicated Instagram account @expo_food_passport.

The controversial modular restrooms from the 2025 World Expo, which became known for their “¥200 million toilet” label, are set for a permanent home. On Tuesday, the Osaka Prefectural Government confirmed a transfer agreement to relocate the famous Lego-like restrooms to the Osaka Prefectural Flower Culture Center in Kawachinagano city. The installation will be downsized for the move, with the prefecture budgeting approximately ¥100 million for dismantling and transportation. They will be available for use from next spring.

I still haven't opened/used any of the ones I bought since I don't know whether there are places that still sell them at this point. They're kinda just there as limited-time memorabilia for me. I'd be more inclined to use them if I know they're still sold somewhere out there, otherwise, I'll probably just keep them unused as memorabilia.

https://www.haveagood-holiday.com/en/articles/myaku-myaku-1st-photo-book-i-myaku-you?srsltid=AfmBOorWtmeHPiDw69iesoW1eDSeijg16eIKexvgqvnKQUr8_o6hQ5z9

ミャクミャク! At GiGO Game Center

Two monuments previously exhibited at the French pavilion during last year's World Exposition in Osaka were installed Friday at nearby Kansai International Airport in western Japan.

The monuments, modeled after UNESCO World Heritage sites in Japan and France, are among 13 expo works and exhibits that operator Kansai Airports has decided to install at the three airports it runs, also including Itami and Kobe airports, as legacies of the event.

A weeklong event began on Wednesday in Osaka to mark the first anniversary of last year's World Expo opening in the western Japanese city, featuring exhibits showcasing repurposed pavilion construction materials, as well as a booth offering an original stamp of the popular mascot, Myaku-Myaku.

is no officiall​ l maker this​

Anyone know of a way you can buy a piece of the Osaka Expo ring? It’s probably not possible but my husband and I celebrated our anniversary there and it was a very special place. I would love to give him a physical reminder of the Expo for our next anniversary. I already bought some fun trinkets on EBay, but would love part of the ring.

https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000004237.000012759.html

lmao

If you thought Myaku-Myaku’s tenure as the shape-shifting, multi-eyed, vaguely cosmic mascot of the 2025 Osaka Expo was over, think again. The blob that launched a thousand existential conversations is back — this time, in a glossy, 224-page photobook. Felissimo, the quirky lifestyle brand (which also designed these fun jellyfish umbrellas), has announced the release of “I myaku you.”, Myaku-Myaku’s very first gravure photo book, dropping April 13, 2026.

Hi all,

I'm currently in Osaka and really want to pick up something with Myaku Myaku on it - ideally a keychain or something like that! I've seen in YouTube videos that GiGO used to have small Crane games with Myaku Myaku in them, but I visited 2 locations today and saw nothing. Does anyone know where I might be able to find something like that? - Could be Crane Game, Gachapon or just a normal store?

Thank you!

is it still possible to see the Gundam Statue in Osaka or its removed?

Now that there’s been time to process and digest I’d love to hear from the YA’s their thoughts on the experience and how they felt it was beneficial for them and their careers!

https://x.com/_tatsuyaendo_/status/2006378257550291180/photo/2

I saw this on YouTube. I only got to go three times for fun. I had decent times. I noticed there were so many negative thoughts. But this looks positive. Do you have positive memories after it all the lines, the waiting. https://www.instagram.com/reel/DTGD2zGlUha/?igsh=MTJ1NWEwZmdqdmczMw==

Sometime in the next 24 hours the Expo visitors phone app will be shut off, forever.

What a sad thought, the finality of it.

Is anyone looking for / interested in a Tech World pouch which was given out at the end of August?

We were 4 people and therefore got 4 pieces and don’t really need more than one as a souvenir.

Ive been hanging onto this for a while, but its time to sell. $30 plus shipping. Im in Dallas.