Fumio Kishida, elected prime minister of Japan on October 4, has come out in support of integrated resorts (IRs) as a way to boost international tourism to the country.
Speaking before the House of Representatives last week, Kishia said, “IRs are :an important initiative for Japan to become an advanced tourism nation in the future. We are proceeding appropriately with the necessary procedures.”
According to Inside Asian Gaming, Kishida was “grilled” by house members including Kiyomi Tsujimoto of the Constitutional Democratic Party, who asked whether IRs are the right direction in a post-pandemic world. He also cited widespread concerns about gambling addiction. The Constitutional Democratic Party “has submitted a bill to abolish the IR/casino bill,” Tsujimoto said. “We would like [the prime minister] to demonstrate national policy.”
Kishida replied, “IR is a crucial element of becoming an advanced tourism nation. A domestic IR will take measures against addiction and will build not only a casino but also build international conference halls and large hotels as a tourism base that can be enjoyed by families. IR attracts a lot of tourists and the regional economic ripple effect is significant.
“The various regional governments are currently preparing their IR applications, including risk assessments. We will continue to move forward with the necessary procedures, including the implementation of strict regulations on casinos based on the IR Development Act and other legislation.”
With Osaka, Nagasaki and Wakayama having now all named their preferred IR partners, they will now prepare respective area development plans and submit their bids to the central government by April 28, 2022.
