April 24, 2025
Japanese Communist Party lawmaker Tatsumi Kotaro on April 23 urged Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Muto Yoji to instruct the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition to issue to newspaper Akahata a press pass for full media access to the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo.
The association currently provides Akahata with a “day-pass” to only attend a weekly press conference.
At a meeting of the House of Representatives Committee on Economy, Trade and Industry, asked by the JCP lawmaker about the reason for the association’s behavior, Mogi Tadashi, acting secretary general of the Cabinet Secretariat Headquarters for the World Expo 2025, in response said that according to the association’s list of press categories: press, freelancers, social media influencers, and others, Akahata is classified as “others”, adding that it is up to the association to decide whether or not to issue a press pass to “others”.
Tatsumi noted that the association-set guidelines for media coverage states that media personnel can apply for either of two types of media passes: a “full-term pass (standard press card)” and a “day-pass (single-event press card)”. He stressed that given this fact, it is clear that the 2025 Expo operator intentionally excludes Akahata from on-site news-gathering activities.
Tatsumi cited that at the time of the 2005 Aichi Expo and the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Akahata had been granted a media pass by these events’ organizers, and demanded that METI Minister Muto request the expo association to accept Akahata’s application for a “full-term” pass.
Past related article:
> Expo 2025 association bars Akahata and other media critical of Expo from on-site news-gathering activities [April 10, 2025]
The association currently provides Akahata with a “day-pass” to only attend a weekly press conference.
At a meeting of the House of Representatives Committee on Economy, Trade and Industry, asked by the JCP lawmaker about the reason for the association’s behavior, Mogi Tadashi, acting secretary general of the Cabinet Secretariat Headquarters for the World Expo 2025, in response said that according to the association’s list of press categories: press, freelancers, social media influencers, and others, Akahata is classified as “others”, adding that it is up to the association to decide whether or not to issue a press pass to “others”.
Tatsumi noted that the association-set guidelines for media coverage states that media personnel can apply for either of two types of media passes: a “full-term pass (standard press card)” and a “day-pass (single-event press card)”. He stressed that given this fact, it is clear that the 2025 Expo operator intentionally excludes Akahata from on-site news-gathering activities.
Tatsumi cited that at the time of the 2005 Aichi Expo and the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Akahata had been granted a media pass by these events’ organizers, and demanded that METI Minister Muto request the expo association to accept Akahata’s application for a “full-term” pass.
Past related article:
> Expo 2025 association bars Akahata and other media critical of Expo from on-site news-gathering activities [April 10, 2025]
