Sasebo Mayor Daisuke Miyajima has said the Japanese city must decide within the current fiscal year whether to pursue another integrated resort bid.
Speaking during a general questioning session of the Sasebo City Council on 9 September, Miyajima said the approaching national application period required the municipality to determine whether it would participate.
Japan’s next application window for regional IR development plans will run from 6 May to 5 November 2027. Miyajima indicated that Sasebo should reach its decision by the end of the fiscal year in March, allowing time for any bid preparations before submissions open.
His comments followed questions from Liberal Democratic Party Citizens’ Council member Koudai Yamashita, who asked whether the mayor intended to begin discussions with Nagasaki Prefecture, local businesses and potential private-sector partners.
Miyajima said the city was collecting views from a broad range of stakeholders, including integrated resort operators and industry experts.
Interest in reviving the proposal has also come from the Sasebo Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which submitted a request to the city in August urging it to pursue re-entry into Japan’s IR selection process.
Sasebo previously formed part of Nagasaki Prefecture’s casino resort ambitions, with the Huis Ten Bosch theme park area discussed as a potential location. Any renewed proposal would require coordination between the city, prefectural government and a private-sector consortium before seeking national certification.
Japan can authorise up to three integrated resorts under its existing framework. Only the MGM Resorts International and Orix-backed Osaka development has been certified, leaving two potential approvals available in the next round.
Miyajima’s statement does not commit Sasebo or Nagasaki Prefecture to submitting an application. The city council’s September general questioning period was scheduled to conclude on 14 September.
Sasebo is one of several Japanese locations reconsidering integrated resort development ahead of the 2027 window. Hokkaido is preparing a policy framework as Tomakomai and Hakodate express interest, while Wakayama Governor Izumi Miyazaki has indicated openness to reviving a proposal at Marina City.
Japan can approve three integrated resorts, leaving two positions available after the certification of MGM Osaka
