Japan’s new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, has instructed her incoming Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, to “promote the development of IRs and realise attractive stay-type tourism which is highly competitive in the international market”.
That is according to Japanese media outlets, referring to the long-standing public policy of her Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) of permitting integrated resorts (IRs), each with a casino.
Ms Takaichi (pictured) – Japan’s first female prime minister – reportedly gave the instruction on IR promotion as one of nine objectives for Yasushi Kaneko, after he was named on Tuesday as Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism is tasked with overseeing the Japan Tourism Agency, which itself coordinates applications for casino resorts in the country.
Even prior to Ms Takaichi’s appointment as premier following a parliamentary vote on Tuesday, the Japanese national authorities were said to be considering launching a new round of applications for local governments hoping to host a casino resort.
Osaka is the first place in Japan to be building a casino resort, namely MGM Osaka, due to open in 2030.
The governor of Osaka prefecture, Hirofumi Yoshimura, heads a right-leaning political grouping called the Japan Innovation Party. On Monday, the LDP and the Japan Innovation Party, a pro-IR political grouping, signed an agreement to form a coalition government.
For a number of years previously, the LDP had headed coalition govenments with the Buddhist-influenced party Komeito as a partner.
