For a minute there, it looked like J-pop singer Ado wasn’t going to take the stage at Expo ’25.
On April 13, the opening day of the 2025 Osaka Expo, Mother Nature had other plans. Sheets of rain and howling winds pummeled Yumeshima, the artificial island hosting the international event, turning it into something resembling a wet wind tunnel. Hundreds of visitors — who had come from across Japan and beyond — scrambled for shelter. The food halls were packed. The arcades were packed. Even vending machine nooks became refuge zones for people who looked like they’d just barely survived a typhoon. The last place anyone wanted to be? The outdoor Matsuri arena, where Ado’s big performance was supposed to happen.
But right as the clock crept toward the show’s 7:45 p.m. start, the weather pulled back. The rain stopped. The wind calmed down. A crisp chill lingered, but the atmosphere was undeniably better. The arena started to fill, and by the time the glowing blue cube on stage lit up — housing the night’s star — the 16,000-capacity venue felt full. A silhouette appeared. Ado had…
Read the full article here