Inside Asian Gaming

IAG OCT 2019年10月 亞博匯 60 JAPAN designated for an IR, with the other candidates to have so far put up their hand including Osaka Prefecture/City, Wakayama Prefecture and Nagasaki Prefecture. Meanwhile, according to IAG sources, officials in at least one municipality are on alert. “Yokohama was conducting research and having dialogue with operators below the surface of the water,” one source linked to a rival bid city said. “It seems like the city has a pipeline to the national government too and I think if they apply for a license, it’s almost a sure thing they will be approved and be able to open an IR. It’s nothing but a threat to us.” Another wasn’t so sure. “Since they’ve been working quietly without weighing the pros and cons, the issue is whether or not the consensus building of the locals will happen in time,” he said. “The only real aim of Yokohama seems to be financial reforms and I don’t feel like they have the ambition to take on a national project. “Everyone is saying the location is good, but how will they resolve the issue of over-tourism with the limited capacity of Haneda Airport and the traffic access problems in the Tokyo Metropolitan area? And if Tokyo ends up entering the race, they won’t be able to approve both.” CITIZEN The biggest problem a Yokohama IR is facing is consensus building with the local residents. The Basic Policy announced by the national government at the beginning of September specifically mentions “Understanding of the community.” So, let’s take a quick look back at the history of Yokohama’s IR interest. Mayor Hayashi, who is now a party leader, was