Myaku-Myaku, the official character of Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, did not retire when the Expo closed on 13 October 2025. The monuments from the venue have been moving around Osaka Prefecture, and the character will appear at the first-anniversary events. At the same time, the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition, which holds the rights, plans to dissolve in March 2028, and what happens after that has not been decided. Below is what official announcements confirmed as of 13 September 2026, in the order of monuments, merchandise, the anniversary events, the Association’s future and the Yokohama Expo collaborations.
At a glance
| Item | Status | Date | Announced by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monument “Wakuwaku” | Display at the Expo ‘70 park ended; now at SENNAN LONG PARK, Sennan City | Ended 2 June 2026, installed from 6 June | Expo ‘70 Commemorative Park |
| Monument “Irasshai” | Display at the Expo ‘70 park ended; now in front of Kani Doraku’s main restaurant, Dotonbori | Ended 28 June 2026, installed from 6 July | Expo ‘70 Commemorative Park |
| Opening-anniversary event | “EXPO2025 Futures Festival” at the Expo ‘70 park | 12 April 2026 | Association, Expo ‘70 park |
| Closing-anniversary events | “EXPO Reborn!” at ATC Hall and “EXPO Beat Jam” at USJ | 11 to 13 October 2026 | Osaka City |
| Merchandise licensing period | Extended to the end of March 2028 | Reported in March 2026 | Nikkei, Kyodo News (press reports) |
| Dissolution of the Association | Support services for dissolution and liquidation put out to tender; dissolution planned for March 2028 | Call issued 30 March 2026 | Association |
| Yokohama Expo collaborations | Myaku-Myaku x Tunku Tunku goods; triple collaboration with Mizuno | 10 March and 21 August 2026 | GREEN×EXPO Association |
1. The monuments moved from Suita to Dotonbori and Sennan
The two Myaku-Myaku monuments from the venue first went to the Expo ‘70 Commemorative Park in Suita, where they were shown near the Tower of the Sun. According to the Association’s notice of 13 March 2026 and the park’s own notices, the two stood together at “Remember EXPO” from 21 to 23 February 2026, and the park hosted the opening-anniversary event “EXPO2025 Futures Festival” on 12 April.
The two then went separate ways. The park says “Wakuwaku” finished its display there on 2 June 2026 and has stood at SENNAN LONG PARK in Sennan City since 6 June. “Irasshai” finished on 28 June and has stood in front of Kani Doraku’s main restaurant in the Dotonbori shopping street since 6 July. Both are outdoors and free to see. The notices do not say how long they will stay.
2. Merchandise until March 2028 (press reports)
Merchandise licensing is the one item we could not confirm in an Association announcement. In March 2026, Nikkei and Kyodo News reported that the licensing period for Myaku-Myaku goods was extended from the end of March 2026 to the end of March 2028, and that from April 2026 companies that had not exhibited at or sponsored the Expo could use the design for a fee. The same reports put sales of related goods at 129.1 billion yen through March 2026, of which 6.3 billion yen went to the Association as licensing income.
These are the press figures. We could not find an announcement of the extension in the Association’s list of notices, and we will revise this section once we can.
3. First-anniversary events: 11 to 13 October
On 4 August 2026, Osaka City announced the closing-anniversary programme “1st Anniversary EXPO 2025”. On 11 and 12 October, “EXPO Reborn!” takes place at ATC Hall and the ATC piloti square in Suminoe Ward, with exhibits from the Osaka Healthcare Pavilion shown again and Myaku-Myaku greeting visitors. On 13 October, one year to the day after closing, Universal Studios Japan hosts the music event “EXPO Beat Jam”, with acts including Kobukuro.
Entry was by advance lottery, with applications open from 21 August to 13 September 2026. Applications had closed by the time this article was published. We will add what happened on the day and any new announcements.
4. The Association plans to dissolve in March 2028
The Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition, which holds the copyright and trademarks for Myaku-Myaku, issued a call for proposals for “dissolution and liquidation support services” on 30 March 2026. The call says the Association plans to dissolve in March 2028, and the support contract runs until 28 February 2029. The same document also allows for the case where only the Expo business is wound up and the Association itself continues, and says the corporate decision will follow the discussions of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry’s Results Verification Committee.
That committee published its report, “Carrying Forward the Ideals and Developing the Legacy of Expo 2025”, on 16 June 2026. It set out three priorities for using the surplus: expanding connections, deepening creative activity, and carrying forward the memory of the Yumeshima site. Where Myaku-Myaku’s rights will go after dissolution, and how long the official website and social media accounts will continue, had not been announced as of September 2026.
5. Collaborations with the Yokohama Expo
Collaborations with Tunku Tunku, the official mascot of GREEN×EXPO 2027, have continued after the Expo closed. The GREEN×EXPO Association announced new and restocked Myaku-Myaku x Tunku Tunku items on 10 March 2026 and a triple collaboration with Mizuno on 21 August. The full list with prices is in “Myaku-Myaku and Tunku Tunku collaborations”. Whether Myaku-Myaku will appear at the Yokohama Expo venue had not been announced as of September 2026.
Our take
A year after closing, Myaku-Myaku looks to be in transition from “the venue’s character” to “the city’s character”. The monuments have gone from the park in Suita to Dotonbori and Sennan, and the event venues have spread to ATC and USJ, places with their own Expo connections.
But this is an interim state that lasts until the Association dissolves in March 2028. Until the rights find a new home, nobody can say whether goods can be made or the monuments kept after April 2028. The Yokohama Expo runs from 19 March to 26 September 2027, just before that deadline, so it may be the last year in which collaboration goods can be produced. What decides Myaku-Myaku’s future is the next announcement on how the committee’s three priorities are put into practice.