Photo shows Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, center right, and U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, center left, who visited Japan to attend the World Exposition in Osaka, shaking hands in Tokyo on July 18, 2025. (Kyodo)


TOKYO (Kyodo) — Outgoing Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s government actively promoted “expo diplomacy” during the World Exposition in Osaka, holding numerous meetings with foreign leaders amid growing global instability, government officials said.


A senior Foreign Ministry official said the engagements had become “a major asset for Japan,” as the country seeks to strengthen security and economic ties with developing and emerging nations in the Pacific region and the Global South.


Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya said at a press conference late last week, “The prime minister held about 50 meetings, and I had around 40 related to the expo. We were able to enhance communication and strengthen cooperation with many countries.”


The number of meetings held by Ishiba exceeded the roughly 30 conducted by then Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi during the 2005 expo in Aichi Prefecture, the ministry said. About 90 heads of state and government leaders from abroad attended the Osaka expo.


Since the Osaka expo opened in April, dignitaries from countries with limited prior ties to Japan have traveled there, providing what a government source described as “valuable opportunities for in-depth dialogue at the leadership level.” The expo concluded on Monday.


Talks held during the international cultural showcase — featuring daily “national day” series by participating countries and regions — were considered beneficial, as both sides could meet in a friendly atmosphere that encouraged constructive exchanges.


In July, Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, a close aide to President Xi Jinping, visited the expo. Shortly after his meeting with then ruling Liberal Democratic Party Secretary General Hiroshi Moriyama, China announced it would resume Japanese beef imports.


A meeting between Ishiba and U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who also took part in his nation’s national day event in July, helped pave the way for the two countries to reach an agreement on tariffs, the Japanese government source said.