The Japanese city of Yokohama has a new mayor, with 59-year-old lawyer Atsumi Harasawa defeating six other candidates, including her controversial predecessor and noted anti-IR campaigner Takeharu Yamanaka, on Sunday.
There seems little chance, however, that the new mayor will revive Yokohama’s IR plans after ruling out any such move during her election campaign.
Yamanaka, who quashed the city’s IR bid after winning the 2021 election, resigned from his post last month following an investigation that uncovered evidence of bullying and abuse of power. He ultimately proved unsuccessful in reclaiming his seat, with Harasawa – an independent candidate who secured the support of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its junior coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party – instead becoming Yokohama’s new mayor.
Although the LDP was the party that pushed Japan’s IR legislation through, Harasawa made her own stance clear during the campaign, stating in her published policy answers: “I have absolutely no intention of pursuing an integrated resort (IR), including a casino, in Yokohama. I have no intention of reconsidering inviting one to the city.”
Yokohama had at one stage been seen as the most exciting of all candidate cities competing for one of the three IR licences available nationwide.
While some international operators, such as Las Vegas Sands Corp, ultimately opted not to continue pursuing opportunities in Japan, both Genting Singapore and Melco Resorts & Entertainment were aggressively pursuing Yokohama before Yamanaka became mayor in 2021 and rapidly pulled the plug.
Only one candidate city, Osaka, was ultimately awarded an IR licence, with the US$10 billion MGM Osaka project scheduled to open in 2030.
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