MGM bets big on Osaka: this is what the plans for the Expo site will look like

The curtain has already fallen on the Osaka Expo, but the transformation of Yumeshima Island is only just beginning. The publication of new architectural documents has revealed the ambitious scale of the plans for the artificial island within the MGM Osaka project, Japan's first casino resort.

Scheduled to open in 2030, the 1.27 trillion yen (about 8.5 billion dollars) development is a large-scale bet on turning the fleeting reputation Yumeshima gained with its temporary pavilions into a permanent international destination. And the house, in this case, is playing the long game.

Recently published plans detail that the centerpiece of the complex will be a 27-story, 126-meter-tall tower, with a curvature reminiscent of the Bellagio in Las Vegas. It will house two hotels with around 1,840 rooms, in addition to the casino and a theater.

Beyond the main tower, the project includes a massive facility for international conferences and exhibitions. Also envisioned are theaters, restaurants, retail spaces, and facilities dedicated to traditional Japanese arts, crafts, gastronomy, and cultural activities.

Although development will transform Yumeshima almost completely, not everything from the Expo will disappear. A 200-meter section of the iconic wooden Grand Ring—originally 2 kilometers long—will be permanently preserved as part of a future municipal commemorative park at the northeastern end of the site.

The key for Osaka is that this development does not exist in isolation. Universal Studios Japan is just across the water, and the Kaiyukan Aquarium, one of the largest in the world, is only a few minutes away. With a resort that will offer more hotel rooms than many small cities, Yumeshima and the surrounding bay aim to become a tourist corridor capable of retaining visitors for days, not hours.

The Expo gave a considerable boost to the city, and MGM Osaka seems poised to capitalize on it. With the infrastructure already built and visitor numbers still strong, Yumeshima's evolution into a major tourism and business hub looks like a reasonable bet for the future of Osaka.