In 2023, gaming commissioners accepted a single bid, from MGM Resorts International and Tokyo-based investment firm Orix Corp. The partners are developing a $10 billion IR complex in Osaka Prefecture, slated to open in 2030.
According to local media, Aichi Governor Hideaki Omura will soon announce his intention to pursue an IR bid. Omura, now in his fourth term, supported an IR proposal in the first round but bowed out amid pandemic disruptions. Now as then, the prefecture has identified a potential location near Chubu Centrair International Airport, which would provide easy access for global travellers.
Hokkaido, Nagasaki also expected to bid
Hokkaido Prefecture has also confirmed its interest in an IR licence, along with its presumptive partner, US tribal operator Hard Rock International. In the first round of bidding, Governor Naomichi Suzuki declined to support a bid, citing environmental concerns. He has since reconsidered.
“Circumstances are changing,” Suzuki said last August. “We view IR as a potential project that could contribute to Hokkaido’s development by attracting private investment and boosting tourism-related spending.”
Nagasaki, too, is expected to throw its hat in the ring.
A 2024 analysis from Savills Research called the casino industry in Japan “a vast ocean of opportunity”, with ideal conditions to develop “a successful and sustainable tourism sector”.
“Given its reputable customer service, social stability, proximity to booming neighbouring economies, and renowned infrastructure base, Japan has finally begun to emerge as a popular hub for high-spending travellers,” the report concluded.
It is seen as fortuitous that Japan Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi supports the development of IRs. Following her election last October, she reportedly ordered Tourism Minister Yasushi Kaneko to “promote … IRs and realise attractive stay-type tourism” in Japan.
According to the Japan Times, Takaichi has also used an expression associated with her mentor, Abe, who pledged to restore Japan “to its rightful place at the heart of the world”.
Dingnews.com 16/02/2026