Kuwana could join the race for an integrated resort in Japan

The mayor of Kuwana has shown interest in developing an integrated resort and has asked the prefecture to analyse the viability of bidding for one of the licences to be awarded.

Japan.- It appears a new contender may emerge for Japan’s three possible integrated resource licences. Nihon Keizai Shimbun news has said that the city of Kuwana is interested in bidding.

Currently, only three cities are expected to bid for three possible licences: Nagasaki, Osaka and Wakayama. But Kuwana’s mayor Narutaka has expressed his interest Mie’s prefecture as only prefectures and cities designated by law can apply.

According to GGRAsia, Katsuyuki Ichimi, the current governor of Mie Prefecture, said: “It is important to take the opinions of the city and residents there into consideration. There are both positive and negative sides to having an IR.”

The mayor is said to have asked Mie’s former governor to consider Kuwana as an IR bidder in 2019 but didn’t get a positive response on that occasion.

Japan’s bicameral legislature has opened the application window for three integrated resorts licences. Cities and prefectures interested have until April 28 2022 to submit their final project proposals.