Japan, October 8, 2026: new casino-resort race taking shape after Aichi Prefecture confirmed that private-sector operators submitted formal expressions of interest to develop an integrated resort (IR) with a casino on Chubu Centrair International Airport Island, in Tokoname, near Nagoya. The participation documents were filed by the September 30 deadline under the request-for-proposal process launched on April 1, 2026. Aichi has deliberately withheld both the number and identities of the applicants, saying disclosure could undermine a fair competitive process.
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The October 7 prefectural announcement is significant because it confirms that the project has moved beyond feasibility studies into an active private-sector selection process. Aichi said it will now conduct competitive dialogue with prospective developers through roughly the winter of fiscal 2026, which ends in March 2027. Detailed project documents must be submitted by March 23, 2027, with a preferred partner expected to be selected in spring.
Tatsuya Ito
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The project is being promoted by the administration of Governor Hideaki Omura, who revived Aichi’s IR ambitions after the prefecture abandoned an earlier attempt in 2022, citing disruption caused by Covid-19. The prefecture says the new resort should support its strategy to create an “international tourism city centered on MICE”, stimulate tourism and economic activity, help counter the outflow of younger residents toward Tokyo, and potentially generate a stable revenue source for medical and welfare policies.
The proposed site covers about 50 hectares on the airport island. The IR would combine a casino, accommodation, MICE facilities and tourism amenities, with Aichi Sky Expo positioned as a core asset. The venue has about 90,000 square metres of total floor area, including 60,000 square metres of exhibition space.
Aichi Sky Expo
The political and regulatory discussion now shifts to timing. Aichi must select a partner, complete its district development plan and secure required local approvals, including involvement from Tokoname City, led by Mayor Tatsuya Ito, before Japan’s next national IR application window opens from May 6 to November 5, 2027.
Japan permits up to three casino IRs, but only MGM Osaka has secured national approval so far. That project carries an investment of about JPY1.51 trillion (US$9.57 billion) and is scheduled to open in 2030, leaving Aichi effectively competing for one of the two remaining potential slots.
