Yokohama Mayor Fumiko Hayashi indicated on Friday that even if a referendum is conducted among citizens to vote on an integrated resort, the results will not affect the city’s plan for an IR bid.
At a city council meeting, Hayashi said, “IR is not something that should be decided by referendum. We are operating within the guidelines of the national government.”
Regarding a referendum for residents to vote on an IR bid, the city residents group called, “Yokohama Citizens’ Group to Decide on a Casino,” has been gathering signatures since 4 September, aiming to directly request establishment of an ordinance for referendums.
After hearing the perspective of these activities, Hayashi stressed that introducing IR is the national government’s policy.
“There will be people for it and against it. We will continue with considerations based on the budget decisions of the city council, who represent the city’s residents,” she said.
In response to criticism regarding the fact she was elected for her third term in the 2017 mayoral election after declaring she was personally undecided on an IR bid, before turning around in 2019 to declare that the city would make a bid, Hayashi said, “All of my policies are decided after discussions with the city council. I would never take action based on my own, personal decisions.”
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