Hokkaido governor elections to determine IR fate
The final unified local government elections in Heisei will one of the most widespread Japan has ever seen with gubernatorial elections taking place for 11 prefectures. Attracting most attention is the Hokkaido gubernatorial election – the only one in the...
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MGM to learn Japan fate by early 2020: Murren
MGM Resorts International Chairman and CEO Jim Murren says he expects to know whether his company has been successful in its bid for a Japanese IR license by early 2020. Speaking with Bloomberg ahead of the second of two Major...
Japan welcomes record tourist numbers in February
Foreign visitors to Japan increased by 3.8% in February compared with the same time last year to an estimated 2.604 million, according to data released by the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO). This surpasses the 2.509 million of February 2018...
Nagasaki’s IR Promotion Office upgraded in race for 2024 IR development
Nagasaki Prefecture, one of the regional Japanese locations targeting the launch of an IR in 2024 alongside Osaka and Wakayama, has announced it will restructure its IR development team, including the addition of extra staff. According to the Mainichi Shimbun,...
Osaka IR plans in jeopardy if LDP wins
It has become clear that the format for the double election for Osaka prefectural governor and Osaka city mayor to take place on 7 April will be Ishin (Japan Innovation Party) versus anti-Ishin, and the focus will be on Ishin’s...
IAG’s day at the baseball: MGM Resorts boosting Japan brand awareness
The MGM Resorts brand has been front and center in Japan this week ahead of the opening game of the 2019 Major League Baseball (MLB) season, to be held at Tokyo Dome on Wednesday. After MGM recently announced that it...
Will the Kanagawa gubernatorial election trigger an IR bid for Yokohama?
We are fast approaching the cutoff date for declarations of candidacy in the gubernatorial elections, part of the unified local government elections in Japan. This is an important election for potential IR operators with the results potentially changing the direction...
Osaka MICE potential the topic of latest IR Seminar
Osaka prefecture and Osaka city held the "Know, Understand, Think Integrated Resort (IR) Seminar" on 14 March in the city as part of their venture to attract IR to Yumeshima in Osaka. Approximately 2000 people took part.
