More than 600,000 people have visited the 2025 World Expo in Osaka, Japan during its first week. The organizer has been struggling not to keep visitors waiting in lines for too long.



The Expo officially kicked off last Sunday with 158 countries and territories participating.



The organizer says about 500,000 ticket holders were admitted to the site between April 13 and 19. If staff members are included, the number exceeds 610,000.



The daily average of 88,000 visitors falls short of the organizer's expected daily figure of 150,000 calculated from the assumed total number of visitors during the six-month Expo period.



Even so, the organizer has been experiencing problems with controlling large crowds of people. Major congestion at the main gates on the first day had been resolved on the second day. Still, long lines have been seen at country pavilions that do not accept reservations. Even at pavilions that have reservation systems, some people arrive without reservations and make long lines.



While the organizer wants to see more visitors, it also needs to address crowds. It also has to protect visitors against heatstroke as it will get hotter in a few months.



A large crowd of visitors flocked to the site on early Sunday morning. Some are seen going to the top of the Grand Ring, a symbol of the expo. Others are visiting pavilions representing various countries.