Japan govt picks prosecutor as casino commission chair

Dec 02, 2024 Newsdesk Japan, Latest News, Top of the deck  

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Three people – one a potential reappointment – have been nominated to join the Japan Casino Regulatory Commission, under a national government proposal to Japan’s parliament, the Diet (pictured).

One of the possible newcomers, Takafumi Sato, would become the commission’s new chair. The official has served as the superintendent prosecutor of the Takamatsu High Public Prosecutors Office.

The official would take over from Michio Kitamura, a former superintendent prosecutor at the Fukuoka High Public Prosecutors Office.

All the proposed moves would be part of a rotation of commission members, who usually serve a term of five years, according to information reviewed by GGRAsia’s Japan correspondent. The commission was established in January 2020.

Japan’s first and so far only casino resort, MGM Osaka, is due to open in late 2030.

The other proposed newcomer to the casino commission is Junichi Kakimizu, a former head of the National Tax College under the National Tax Agency.

Michiko Watari, a psychiatrist, would be a reappointment, having taken office at the time of the commission’s inception in 2020.

Another member due to step down after one term is Hiroyuki Ujikane, a former head of the Nagoya Regional Taxation Bureau, who also started at the casino commission on January 7, 2020.

The Japanese government presented the casino commission personnel proposals to the Diet, on November 28. The proposals will be considered for approval between now and December 21, according to GGRAsia’s correspondent.

Two casino commission members are partway through their terms. They are Hirofumi Kitamura, a former director of the Traffic Bureau at the National Police Agency, who took office at the commission on January 7, 2023; and Keiko Ishikawa, a professor of economics at Nihon University, who also took office on the same date.

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