Photo/Illutration Hanako Jimi, state minister in charge of the 2025 Osaka Kansai Expo, answers questions from a lawmaker from the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan at the Lower House Cabinet Committee on Nov. 8. (Takeshi Iwashita)

The state minister in charge of the 2025 Osaka Kansai Expo said Russia, which has announced its intent to participate, is unlikely to be welcome as long as the country continues its invasion of Ukraine.

“If the current situation (with Russia’s ongoing invasion) does not change, Russia’s participation in the expo is not expected,” Hanako Jimi said at a news conference after the Cabinet meeting on Nov. 24.

Her statement echoes the remarks shared in March by Naoki Okada, the former minister for the world expo, regarding the potential rejection of Russia's participation.

Jimi said, “Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is incompatible with the expo’s theme, ‘Designing Future Society for Our Lives.’”

However, she did not explicitly state whether the cessation of the invasion would be a criterion for the decision, saying, “We would like to consider this matter after carefully watching future developments.”

One hundred and sixty countries and regions have confirmed their participation in the expo. Ukraine, however, has yet to confirm its attendance.

“We will continue conducting coordination through various channels, with the hope that (Ukraine) will join the event,” Jimi said.

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