2 Nations Featured in Osaka Expo Have Yet to Start Dismantling Pavilions

The Yomiuri Shimbun

7:00 JST, March 18, 2026

Two countries — the Czech Republic and Turkmenistan — have been unable to begin demolition work on their pavilions at the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo, the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition revealed Monday. The two countries are among 47 that designed and constructed their own pavilions.

Hiroyuki Ishige, secretary general of the association, explained the current situation at a press conference held after the Expo Association’s board meeting in Tokyo.

“We are engaging in extensive communication [with the countries] regarding how to proceed with the dismantling,” said Ishige.

“We aim to ensure that the dismantling ultimately proceeds without causing any overall disruption.”

The association is required to dismantle the facilities on the artificial island of Yumeshima, which served as the Expo site in Konohana Ward, Osaka. The site will be returned to Osaka, the landowner, by the end of February 2028.

Additionally, new rules were officially announced at the press conference, including allowing, for a fee, companies other than Expo exhibitors and sponsors to use the official Expo mascot Myaku-Myaku for business purposes.

Guidelines for fan art featuring imaginary life forms called Co-Myaku will be created within the month, enabling users to post such content on social media. The amorphous, one-eyed Co-Myaku have a visual kinship with the popular multi-eyed Expo mascot Myaku-Myaku.