The city and prefecture of Osaka, Japan remain hopeful that an integrated resort is in their future. Local government officials hope to get the request-for-proposal (RFP) process off the ground starting in January.
Since integrated resorts (IRs) were approved by the Japanese parliament in late 2016, Osaka has been among the most ardent proponents of the concept as a way to boost tourism. Before the Covid-19 pandemic began, officials there were pressing to host Japan’s first IR, presumably on Yumeshima Island in Osaka Bay, which is set to host the 2025 World Expo. Those efforts came to a grinding halt in June due to the viral outbreak.
Osaka’s longstanding support for an IR was jeopardized by the proposed Osaka Metropolis Plan, which would have divided the prefecture into different wards and made it more difficult for a “cohesive IR solution” to be reached. That initiative was defeated by voters in November; the ballot question fell short in 2015 as well.
Meanwhile, four years after approving IRs, the central government has failed to complete its IR Basic Policy, which will include guidelines for prefectures and cities hoping to host a resort. Other regions that have expressed interest in hosting one of the country’s first three IRs include Nagasaki, which also wants to launch an RFP process in January, along with Yokohama and Wakayama. If everything runs smoothly in the new year, the prefectural governments could begin accepting proposals next fall and choose their operating partners the following year.
