Yokohama city has announced details regarding the dates, application process, method and capacity for IR briefings to be held for local residents.
As reported by The Nikkei, Yokohama City will run briefings for the first six wards in December, and plans for the remaining 12 wards to be confirmed before the end of the year. The capacity for each briefing will be 400 to 500 people, and they will be open to residents of Yokohama city as well as those who work and go to school in the city. In case of interest exceeding capacity, those residing in the ward of each venue will be given priority.
Yokohama officially expressed its interest in an IR bid in August, with both Las Vegas Sands and Melco Resorts having since withdrawn from the Osaka IR race to focus on Yokohama.
The city council passed a supplementary budget that included JPY260 million for related expenses in September. An official policy is set to be determined next year, along with a public offering and selection of an operator, with the goal of opening a property at the 47-hectare candidate location of Yamashita Wharf in the late 2020s.
Those opposing an IR bid are also taking action. Chairman of the Yokohama Port Association (made up of businesses related to Yamashita Wharf), Yukio Fujiki, is leading the opposition based on safety concerns within the area. The group will certainly be a thorn in the side for Mayor Hayashi and those in favor of IR development.
The briefings, to be held in all 18 wards of the city, are an attempt to erase these concerns by addressing safety, tax revenue and other issues in order to promote understanding of IRs.
