KUMATORI, Osaka -- This Osaka Prefecture town has rejected free admission for its students to the Osaka-Kansai Expo, scheduled to open on April 13, over concerns about safety.

The decision was made after the principals of the town's eight municipal elementary and junior high schools concluded that there was insufficient information to ensure the safe supervision of students. As a result, Kumatori and its board of education decided to withdraw from the prefecture's offer of free admission for children. The prefectural city of Katano made a similar announcement in May 2024, and Suita has also notified the Osaka Prefectural Board of Education of its decision to withdraw.

In December 2024, Kumatori's municipal school principals distributed a letter to parents explaining their decision. The letter noted the expected daily attendance of 150,000 visitors, which could lead to severe overcrowding, and that teachers' preliminary site inspections would not take place until April, making it difficult to implement adequate preparations. The letter highlighted further challenges, such as managing lost students, securing lunch spaces, and the lack of access to covered group rest areas for junior high school students.

The letter also pointed to uncertainties in how the school visits to the Expo would go, including whether flexible measures would be available to address delays in arrival times for scheduled pavilion visits.

According to the town's education board, the principals spent six months deliberating before reaching a decision. Due to the small number of schools in Kumatori, they decided to address the matter collectively rather than individually. While some participants expressed a desire to provide students with the opportunity to attend the Expo as an educational field trip -- particularly to inspire interest in the Sustainable Development Goals -- the final decision prioritized concerns over the inability to guarantee children's safety.

The Osaka Prefectural Board of Education's initiative targets students in elementary, junior high and high schools, as well as those in special education schools. Kumatori's board of education plans to distribute the allocated tickets to students through the schools starting in April.

(Japanese original by Tadakazu Nakamura, Izumisano Resident Bureau)