Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Wednesday the government will consider introducing same-day tickets for the World Exposition in Osaka from April, despite an earlier decision not to do so to avoid long queues at the venue.

His remark at a meeting in Tokyo with Osaka Gov Hirofumi Yoshimura came as advance ticket sales remain far short of organizers' expectations.

"We want to allow people to purchase (such tickets)" during the event from April 13 to Oct 13, Ishiba told the governor, who has requested the measure along with other promotional steps by the central government.

Currently, a visitor is required to reserve an admission ticket with the date and time of a visit.

Advance ticket sales, which started on Nov 30, 2023, stood at around 7.67 million as of Jan 29, short of the target of 14 million. The online advance reservation system has also been criticized as complex by some of the participating countries.

"We will make the World Exposition an opportunity for Japan to achieve robust growth," Ishiba said at the meeting, also attended by Osaka Mayor Hideyuki Yokoyama and Masayoshi Matsumoto, chairman of the Kansai Economic Federation.

The Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition expects 28.2 million visitors during the event, to be held on the artificial island of Yumeshima in Osaka Bay.