Two major cities in Hokkaido prefecture (pictured), in Japan, have shown support to the idea of the prefecture hosting an integrated resort (IR) with a casino.
The Hokkaido prefecture launched last month a survey of all 179 of its local governments on the topic of whether to have an IR. Hokkaido is the second-largest and most northerly of Japan’s four main islands.
On August 28, the mayors of Sapporo city and Hakodate city – in separate briefings – described how their respective governments replied to the prefecture-level survey.
Katsuhiro Akimoto, the mayor of Sapporo, stated the city was in favour of Hokkaido featuring a casino resort, but clarified that the city itself was not interested in hosting such a complex, according to a report in the Hokkaido Shimbun.
Jun Oizumi, the mayor of Hakodate, said in his remarks that his government was keen in having an IR in the city, but that currently there was no plan to present such a proposal.
The mayor of Tomakomai, another conurbation in Hokkaido, said last week that his government would respond in the affirmative to the survey from the prefectural government on the IR topic.
Suguru Kanazawa said at the time that the city authorities were “willing” to work with local municipalities that intend to support the Tomakomai’s bid to host a casino resort.
The prefectural survey has been described by the Hokkaido Shimbun as the “first time” there had been such a questionnaire since the prefecture “decided not to apply in 2019,” prior to the first round of nationwide local-authority applications for the right to host such a facility.
Hokkaido has had a number of business-sector meetings recently, discussing the IR topic.
From a review by GGRAsia’s Japan correspondent of previous comment by Hokkaido’s government, Tomakomai, an industrial port city, was the prefecture’s priority candidate location for hosting an IR among three possible areas. The information was prior to Hokkaido deciding not to join a first round of applications.
The only IR approved for the country so far is the JPY1.27-trillion (US$8.61-billion currently) MGM Osaka, due to open in 2030.
In June this year, a Japanese government official said the opening of a new round of IR hosting applications was “not far off”.
In a separate development, Katsuaki Kamiji, the mayor of Yokosuka city, described as “inappropriate” the idea of developing an IR in the site of the current Oppama Plant of Nissan Motor Co Ltd.
That was after a Japanese media organisation reported that the location – within Kanagawa prefecture – had been mentioned as a potential site for an IR in any fresh round of applications.
