Orix Corporation announced on May 1st, 2026 that Nobuki Watanabe has been appointed as Representative Director and Chairman of MGM Osaka Corporation, the joint venture developing Japan’s first integrated resort (IR).
The appointment took effect on the same date.
Watanabe will retain his role as Managing Executive Officer of Orix’s Infrastructure Business Unit, where he is responsible for the Osaka IR Business. He has been overseeing Orix’s involvement in the project since April 2025, when he was assigned to lead the company’s Osaka IR Project Office, before being promoted to Managing Executive Officer in January 2026.
A 25-year veteran of Orix, Watanabe joined the group in August 2001 after starting his career at Daiwa Securities. He has previously served as President of Orix Capital Corporation and held senior roles in the company’s Group Strategy Business Unit and CEO’s Office.
MGM Osaka Corporation is a joint venture between MGM Resorts International and Orix, each holding approximately 40 percent equity stakes, alongside 22 minority domestic shareholders. The integrated resort is being developed on Yumeshima Island in Osaka Bay at an estimated cost of JPY1.27 trillion ($8.8 billion), with completion targeted for autumn 2030.
Construction officially began on April 24th, 2025. According to MGM Resorts’ most recent update, more than 40 percent of the foundation piling has been completed, the first concrete floor has been finished, and initial steel structures are now in place. The property will feature a 23,293-square-meter casino with around 470 gaming tables and 6,400 electronic gaming machines, three hotels with approximately 2,500 rooms, and a 3,500-seat theater.
