Osaka governor confident that IR could open by 2029

Despite delays in approval from central government, Hirofumi Yoshimura says Osaka’s IR would still be able to open “between autumn and winter of financial year 2029″.

Japan.- Osaka governor Hirofumi Yoshimura has told press that despite a “prolonged examination” of the IR District Development Plan by the national government, he is confident an integrated resort could still open “between autumn and winter of financial year 2029″.

There have been fears that if approval for Osaka and Nagasaki’s integrated resort plans is delayed beyond 2022, the IRs may not meet their respective opening targets of 2029 and 2027. Noboyuki Baba, an Osaka MP with the Innovation Party, has asked the government to approve Osaka’s IR District Development Plan by the end of the year. 

Osaka submitted its bid in April with MGM Resorts International and ORIX as partners. In November, Osaka mayor Ichiro Matsui said the prefecture was asked to submit a series of documents detailing how it was going to resolve issues around its bid.