Photo/Illutration A manmade island called Yumeshima (Dream island) in Osaka where the Osaka Kansai Expo will be held in 2025 (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

The Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition will recommend at its September board meeting that dogs not be allowed at the Osaka Kansai Expo after all, sources said on Aug. 22.

The association had drafted a plan to allow small dogs into the venue, which would be a first for any world expo, and tried to get it approved at the board of directors meeting in June.

However, opinions at the meeting were divided and the decision was postponed until September.

The possibility of allowing pets at the expo was originally proposed by Ichiro Matsui, a former Osaka mayor who played a role in bringing the world expo to the city.

The association held five meetings among a team of 10 experts including veterinarians and university professors to discuss how to make the event pet accessible.

The association members drafted an implementation plan that incorporated feedback from participant countries and the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), an intergovernmental organization in charge of overseeing and regulating world expos.

The plan suggested that during 10 weekdays in May 2025, a month after the Osaka Expo’s opening, a maximum of 100 canines would be allowed to enter the venue each day.

It also suggested that owners must put their dogs on leashes or harnesses and carry them in pushcarts.

Sources said Osaka Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura agreed to allow pets in the venue, but some board members argued that if small dogs were allowed, other pets should be too.

Other board members were put off by the high cost of carrying out the dog-friendly plan, which was estimated to be 83 million yen ($570,000).

The association had hoped to incorporate co-existence with pets into the event based on the Osaka Expo’s theme, “Designing Future Society for Our Lives.” 

However, it reviewed the feasibility of allowing dogs in the venue, considering these opinions, and decided to suggest canceling the plan to the board meeting.

Meanwhile, Yoshimura and the Osaka mayor told reporters on Aug. 23 that they will continue to seek the understanding of the association's board members. 

Yoshimura emphasized the importance, saying, "The plan should be realized at the expo, which is supposed to show us a desirable future society." 

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