Japan: Miyazaki won’t push for an IR

Miyazaki Governor has announced the region won’t pursue an IR as he acknowledges regulation is set for larger urban markets.

Japan.- Miyazaki Governor Shunji Kono has announced that the prefecture won’t pursue an integrated resort (IR) due to the way the IR Implementation Bill has been written. According to Gov Kono, it would be highly unlikely that the region would score a development over other major urban markets.

The head of the local government explained during a press conference that there are two main reasons why it abandoned the race: only three municipalities will be selected nationally – which makes its chances quite low – in addition to the design of the bill which foresees a “considerably large scale, beyond the scope of what [Miyazaki] could do.”

Despite withdrawing from the IR race, Governor Kono said the prefecture might reconsider pushing for its own development in the future.

Sega Sammy Holdings, which owns the Paradise City IR in South Korea was lobbying Kono to get him pushing for an IR and even gave him a tour of its facilities. However, the Governor considered that the terms of the IR implementation bill don’t match Miyazaki’s requirements.

“We think that the consensus of local residents should be reflected in the future vision of municipalities for their development and revitalization,” a spokesperson for Sega Sammy Holdings said to AGBrief and added: “The introduction of IRs should be one part of the discussion. We will maintain our efforts to enter the IR business in Japan.”