Japan

The scandal over Chinese firm 500 Dot Com’s IR lobbying activities in Japan deepened considerably with former Cabinet Office state minister Tsukasa Akimoto being arrested on bribery charges and two other ruling party lawmakers’ offices raided by prosecutors.

The world expo body is planning to ask the Japanese government not to open any integrated resorts with casinos in Osaka during Expo 2025,...

Keihan Holdings President Masahiro Ishimaru has revealed that his firm would be interested in participating as an investor in the Yumeshima IR, though on a modest scale.

Chiba Mayor Toshihito Kumagai stated on Tuesday that his city’s decision on whether or not to go forward with an IR bid will be announced by the end of March 2020 at the latest, which is the first time that he has provided a time frame.

EY Japan has pulled down a major IR advisory contract with the Yokohama municipal government scheduled to run through March 2022.

The special investigation unit of the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office raided the Tokyo offices of a Shenzhen-based lottery operator, as well as the homes of former policy aides of a senior ruling politician who had been in charge of IR policy, apparently in connection with the illegal import into Japan of a large sum of money.

Osaka Mayor Ichiro Matsui indicated at a press conference on Friday that he had effectively given up on his long-cherished goal to open the Yumeshima IR before the 2025 World Expo, and that in fact the bidders would only be asked to commit to a FY2026 opening date.

Despite Governor Naomichi Suzuki’s declaration at the end of November that Hokkaido will not be moving forward with an IR bid, Hard Rock Japan is signaling that they are not giving up their campaign to build an IR at Tomakomai city.

Kitakyushu Mayor Kenji Kitahashi has indicated that his city will make its basic decision on whether or not to join Japan’s IR race in January, and that discussions with the city council will be completed by the end of March.

Some lawmakers have grown concerned that the proposed policy on the taxation of casino winnings is too heavy-handed, and a settlement of the issue has been delayed until next year.