The Hokkaido Shimbun has reported that during general questions at the Hokkaido Assembly held on the 20 of February, Governor Harumi Takahashi expressed that “it is important to promote initiatives to attract an IR assuming considerations will be made for a full range of measures to tackle concerns.”
The locations that have thrown their names into the hat to attract an IR to Hokkaido are Tomakomai City, Rustsu in Shiribeshi and Kushiro City.
A consultation committee made up of IR experts has been established and Governor Takahashi has been pushing the positive attitude toward an IR bid and its financial impact.
However, on 15 December last year she declared that she would not run for governor this spring and would instead run as a Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) candidate for the Upper House elections in the summer. She has avoided making statements about IRs since then.
In this assembly, while she did mention that she thinks progress with the initiative is important, she avoided being drawn into making a judgment on whether Hokkaido should be making an IR bid.
The Hokkaido governor elections are scheduled to be announced on 21 March and the ballots will be cast on 7 April. The LDP is at its core a conservative party and has unified behind Naomichi Suzuki, mayor of Yubari, in their recommendation, while the opposition party is fielding Tomohiro Ishikawa, former member of the Lower House.
Suzuki has maintained a positive attitude towards IRs while also saying, “There must be comprehensive consideration given the financial positives and negative aspects such as problem gambling. That judgment should be made from the view of the residents.”
On the other hand, Ishikawa has expressed concerns about the contribution to economic growth. He is opposed to an IR bid, stating, “The issue of problem gambling has not been resolved.”
With Governor Takahashi moving on, the decision on whether to push ahead with an IR bid will be made by the incoming governor. The April election results will be pivotal in determining the fate of an IR in Hokkaido.
