Yokohama city has revealed it will establish an IR Promotion Office in the Urban Development Bureau for an IR bid. The office will officially begin operations today, 1 November 2019.
Until now, IR related activities were handled by the Policy Bureau, which began a team of eight of eight in April but grew to 18 after Yokohama’s plan to bid was formally announced and the supplementary budget passed.
That team will now be transferred to the Urban Development Bureau and increased to 25 under Hideo Amagai.
At the regular assembly held on 30 October, Mayor Fumiko Hayashi stated, “We will proceed with considerations for a specific IR implementation policy and problem gaming countermeasures and treatments,” emphasizing, “we must provide accurate information to our citizens.”
On 21 October, the city announced its policy to hold IR Resident Briefings in all 18 wards in the city to promote better understanding of IRs.
Yokohama alsoheld its RFC from private enterprises from 16 to 30 October, and there seems to have been response from multiple corporations.
On 6 November, the IR Promotion Council will be launched by eight groups, including The Yokohama Chamber of Commerce & Industry and the Kanagawa-ken Employer’s Association. Furthermore, the 1st Japan IR Expo in Yokohama will be held at Pacifico Yokohama in January. As a lead-up to the expo, the Yokohama IR Expo Briefing will be held on 7 November.
Leaders of the Japanese companies representing the four main IR candidate operators expressing interest in Yokohama will be speaking.
While IR promotion groups are picking up the pace, the Yokohama Harbor Resort Association comprised of Yokohama Bay operators and chaired by Yukio Fujiki is actively opposing these activities.
