Inside Asian Gaming

IAG AUG 2021年8月 亞博匯 70 JAPAN conundrum in Yokohama’s future, and how that will be solved is something that must be discussed. Had this been raised before the last election as the key reason for an IR, maybe people would have been more accepting.” Among the mayoral candidates opposing IR development is 55-year-old Hachiro Okonogi, whose decision to run on an anti-IR platform, announced in June, sent shockwaves through the ruling Liberal Democratic Party given he was not only one of their own but also the Minister in charge of the Japan Casino Regulatory Commission. In fact, until very recently, only one of the half- dozen confirmed candidates – former House of Representatives member and independent candidate Mineyuki Fukuda – had expressed a pro- IR stance. The mood has since shifted considerably following confirmation on 15 July that Mayor Hayashi – the driving force behind Yokohama’s IR bid – would run for a fourth consecutive term, as an independent. Although the LDP, which had endorsed Hayashi in previous mayoral contests, announced it would not do so again due to the three-term limit stipulated in its internal charters, the party has also opted against backing its own Okonogi, offering members a free vote instead. With the shackles now unleashed, at least part of the city council is expected to support Hayashi, giving fresh momentum to a bid that had looked like it was on the ropes. That leaves the two remaining candidates in Yokohama’s IR race with plenty to fight for, so let’s take a closer look at what each has to offer. 日本諮詢公司Bay City Ventures董事總經理國領城 児 是 橫濱人，他認為這件事實在是羞恥，指出市長選舉真正的重點 應該放在當地社會經濟問題上。 國領城 児 表示：「很遺憾地IR變成選舉的主要議題，因為作 為日本最大的城市之一，其手頭上還有很多其他議題。」 「在所有支持和反對IR發展的意見下，橫濱要開發IR項目 的初衷已被逐漸掩蓋。橫濱未來有財政難題，要如何解決此問 題是必須討論的。如果在選舉之前將此作為IR項目發展的關鍵 原因，人們也許會對此更為接受。」 在反對IR發展的市長候選人中，有 55 歲的小此木八郎，他 於6月宣布反IR綱領令執政的自民黨大吃一驚，因為小此木八 郎不僅是自民黨黨員，還是負責日本娛樂場管理委員會的前內 閣成員。 事實上，直到近期，在六名已確認參選的市長候選人中， 只有一人表達了支持IR的立場，他是前眾議院議員和獨立參 選人福田峰之。 在林文子於7月15日宣布競逐連任第四個任期後，相關 局面情緒有顯著改變，因林文子積極推動橫濱IR發展。鑑於自 民黨內部章程規定市長候選人只能連任三屆，所以林文子今 次以獨立人士身份參選，但該黨沒有表態支持黨員小此木八 郎，讓其他黨員可自由投票。沒有這枷鎖下，預計至少部分橫 濱市議會成員會支持林文子，為其看似岌岌可危的競選注入 新的動力。 這令橫濱IR競逐中剩下的兩家候選企業仍可據理力爭， 現在就仔細地分析這兩家企業的所長。