Wakayama Governor Izumi Miyazaki has said he is open to developing an integrated casino resort at Wakayama Marina City.
His comments came after Kasumigaseki Capital acquired Wakayama Marina City Co., the company that operates the site.
Wakayama Marina City, an artificial island in Wakayama Bay, was created based on a resort development plan led by the prefecture. After the success of the World Resort Expo (1994), which was held there, development stalled due to the economic downturn.
The prefecture later pursued an IR plan, but the Wakayama Assembly rejected it in 2022.
Governor Miyazaki stated: "My desire to turn that area into a major resort area remains unchanged.
"If Kasumigaseki Capital wants to lead the development of an IR, we would like to cooperate."
Meanwhile, Sasebo in Japan’s Nagasaki Prefecture is also reportedly considering a renewed bid for an IR.
The local Chamber of Commerce and Industry is looking to Huis Ten Bosch, a major theme park in the city, to revive the plan.
The next application round for the right to host a casino resort in Japan will run from May 6, 2027, to November 5, 2027.
Under the 2018 law, the national government can approve up to three integrated resorts. However, only the Osaka project has been certified to date. It received approval in 2023 and is scheduled to open in autumn 2030.
Japan aims to attract 60 million international visitors by 2030. Officials believe that expanding integrated resorts beyond Osaka could help distribute tourism more evenly across the country.
In July, Konami Gaming became the first manufacturer to submit license applications across all applicable categories to the Japan Casino Regulatory Commission (JCRC).
Integrated resorts will impose restrictions on casino entry, limiting each visitor to three admissions within a seven-day period
