Japanese leader says he hopes Osaka expo will help reunite a divided world

OSAKA, Japan (AP) — Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, speaking at Saturday's opening ceremony for the Osaka expo, expressed his hope that the event will help restore global unity in a world plagued by conflicts and trade wars.

“The world, having overcome the coronavirus pandemic, is now threatened by an array of divisions,” Ishiba said. “At a time like this, it is extremely meaningful that people from around the world gather here and discuss the theme of life and experience cutting-edge technology, diverse ideas and culture.”

Expo 2025 Osaka officially opens Sunday, with the theme of life, world and the future, and Japan hopes to bring unity and portray a future society.

But the event's celebrations have been somewhat dampened by U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent tariff threats, which add to global tension and uncertainty, with Russia’s war in Ukraine and conflict in the Middle East dragging on.

Citing the expo's iconic lattice-like wooden “Grand Ring,” which symbolizes unity and encircles the venue, Ishiba said: “I sincerely hope the world will unite again through interactions among countries and visitors in and outside of this ring."

The costly ring, the world's largest wooden architectural structure, is 20 meters (65 feet) high and has a 2-kilometer (1.2-mile) circumference.

During the six-month event on the reclaimed island and industrial waste burial site of Yumeshima, which means dream island, in the Osaka Bay, the city is hosting some 180 countries, regions and organizations showcasing their futuristic exhibits inside of about 80 pavilions of unique designs.

It is Osaka's second world expo after the 1970 event that scored a huge success and attracted 64 million visitors — a record until Shanghai in 2010.

This time, Japan has faced dwindling public interest, and support and was hit by soaring construction costs due to the weaker yen. The cost nearly doubled from the initial estimate to 235 billion yen ($1.64 billion), about 14% of which went to the ring, triggering criticisms from many Japanese over the government's use of their tax money.

The cost increase also caused construction delays for some countries. Several pavilions, including those of Nepal and India, were not quite ready Saturday. Conflicts also affected preparations for Ukraine and the Palestinians. Russia did not participate.

Ticket sales have been slow. So far, 9 million advance tickets had been sold, far short of the organizers' target of 14 million. Organizers hope to have more than 28 million visitors at the event that lasts through Oct. 13.

Emperor Naruhito, in his address at Saturday's opening ceremony, recalled visiting the earlier expo as a fascinating experience for a then 10-year-old prince.

“I vividly remember how excited I was coming across the latest technology, playing with a wireless phone and looking at the moon rock,” brought back by the U.S. Apollo 12 lunar mission, said the emperor, now 65.

Naruhito said he hoped the second Osaka expo would be as successful and expressed hope that children will learn more about people, regions and the world and think about future society by interacting with next-generation technologies and efforts for sustainable future.

This story corrects target attendance to 28 million, not 280 million.

Yamaguchi reported from Tokyo.

Artists perform during the opening ceremony of the Osaka Expo 2025 in Osaka, western Japan Saturday, April 12, 2025. (Jia Haocheng/Pool Photo via AP)

ATARASHII GAKKO! performs during the opening ceremony of Osaka Expo 2025 in Osaka, western Japan, Saturday, April 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)

Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba speaks during the opening ceremony of the Osaka Expo 2025 in Osaka, western Japan Saturday, April 12, 2025. (Jia Haocheng/Pool Photo via AP)

Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba speaks during the opening ceremony of the Osaka Expo 2025 in Osaka, western Japan Saturday, April 12, 2025. (Jia Haocheng/Pool Photo via AP)

Artists perform during the opening ceremony of the Osaka Expo 2025 in Osaka, western Japan Saturday, April 12, 2025. (Jia Haocheng/Pool Photo via AP)

Artists perform during the opening ceremony of Osaka Expo 2025 in Osaka, western Japan, Saturday, April 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)

Artists perform during the opening ceremony of the Osaka Expo 2025 in Osaka, western Japan Saturday, April 12, 2025. (Jia Haocheng/Pool Photo via AP)

Japan's Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako wave after the opening ceremony of the Osaka Expo 2025 in Osaka, western Japan Saturday, April 12, 2025. (Jia Haocheng/Pool Photo via AP)

From left, flags of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), Japan and Osaka Expo 2025 are seen during the opening ceremony of the expo in Osaka, western Japan Saturday, April 12, 2025. (Jia Haocheng/Pool Photo via AP)

Artists perform during the opening ceremony of Osaka Expo 2025 in Osaka, western Japan, Saturday, April 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)

Flag bearers enter the venue during the opening ceremony of Osaka Expo 2025 in Osaka, western Japan, Saturday, April 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)

Artists perform during the opening ceremony of Osaka Expo 2025 in Osaka, western Japan, Saturday, April 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)

Security guards stand at the venue of the opening ceremony of the World Expo in Osaka, central Japan, Saturday, April 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)

Guests watch the opening ceremony of Osaka Expo 2025 in Osaka, western Japan, Saturday, April 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)

Japan Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba shows Osaka Expo mascot Myaku-Myaku, a red-and-blue creature that symbolizes cell and water, as he speaks at a news conference at the prime minister's office in Tokyo, Japan, Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (Nicolas Datiche/Pool Photo via AP)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump said Iran wants to negotiate with Washington after his threat to strike the Islamic Republic over its bloody crackdown on protesters, a move coming as activists said Monday the death toll in the nationwide demonstrations rose to at least 544.

Iran had no immediate reaction to the news, which came after the foreign minister of Oman — long an interlocutor between Washington and Tehran — traveled to Iran this weekend. It also remains unclear just what Iran could promise, particularly as Trump has set strict demands over its nuclear program and its ballistic missile arsenal, which Tehran insists is crucial for its national defense.

Meanwhile Monday, Iran called for pro-government demonstrators to head to the streets in support of the theocracy, a show of force after days of protests directly challenging the rule of 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iranian state television aired chants from the crowd, who shouted “Death to America!” and “Death to Israel!”

Trump and his national security team have been weighing a range of potential responses against Iran including cyberattacks and direct strikes by the U.S. or Israel, according to two people familiar with internal White House discussions who were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

“The military is looking at it, and we’re looking at some very strong options,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Sunday night. Asked about Iran’s threats of retaliation, he said: “If they do that, we will hit them at levels that they’ve never been hit before.”

Trump said that his administration was in talks to set up a meeting with Tehran, but cautioned that he may have to act first as reports of the death toll in Iran mount and the government continues to arrest protesters.

“I think they’re tired of being beat up by the United States,” Trump said. “Iran wants to negotiate.”

He added: “The meeting is being set up, but we may have to act because of what’s happening before the meeting. But a meeting is being set up. Iran called, they want to negotiate.”

Iran through country's parliamentary speaker warned Sunday that the U.S. military and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if America uses force to protect demonstrators.

More than 10,600 people also have been detained over the two weeks of protests, said the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which has been accurate in previous unrest in recent years and gave the death toll. It relies on supporters in Iran crosschecking information. It said 496 of the dead were protesters and 48 were with security forces.

With the internet down in Iran and phone lines cut off, gauging the demonstrations from abroad has grown more difficult. The Associated Press has been unable to independently assess the toll. Iran’s government has not offered overall casualty figures.

Those abroad fear the information blackout is emboldening hard-liners within Iran’s security services to launch a bloody crackdown. Protesters flooded the streets in the country’s capital and its second-largest city on Saturday night into Sunday morning. Online videos purported to show more demonstrations Sunday night into Monday, with a Tehran official acknowledging them in state media.

In Tehran, a witness told the AP that the streets of the capital empty at the sunset call to prayers each night. By the Isha, or nighttime prayer, the streets are deserted.

Part of that stems from the fear of getting caught in the crackdown. Police sent the public a text message that warned: “Given the presence of terrorist groups and armed individuals in some gatherings last night and their plans to cause death, and the firm decision to not tolerate any appeasement and to deal decisively with the rioters, families are strongly advised to take care of their youth and teenagers.”

Another text, which claimed to come from the intelligence arm of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, also directly warned people not to take part in demonstrations.

“Dear parents, in view of the enemy’s plan to increase the level of naked violence and the decision to kill people, ... refrain from being on the streets and gathering in places involved in violence, and inform your children about the consequences of cooperating with terrorist mercenaries, which is an example of treason against the country,” the text warned.

The witness spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity due to the ongoing crackdown.

The demonstrations began Dec. 28 over the collapse of the Iranian rial currency, which trades at over 1.4 million to $1, as the country’s economy is squeezed by international sanctions in part levied over its nuclear program. The protests intensified and grew into calls directly challenging Iran’s theocracy.

Nikhinson reported from aboard Air Force One.

In this frame grab from video obtained by the AP outside Iran, a masked demonstrator holds a picture of Iran's Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi during a protest in Tehran, Iran, Friday, January. 9, 2026. (UGC via AP)

In this frame grab from footage circulating on social media from Iran shows protesters taking to the streets despite an intensifying crackdown as the Islamic Republic remains cut off from the rest of the world in Tehran, Iran, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026.(UGC via AP)

In this frame grab from footage circulating on social media from Iran showed protesters once again taking to the streets of Tehran despite an intensifying crackdown as the Islamic Republic remains cut off from the rest of the world in Tehran, Iran, Saturday Jan. 10, 2026. (UGC via AP)