Wakayama put an integrated resort casino back at the center of its tourism strategy on August 28, 2026, after Governor Izumi Miyazaki confirmed that the prefecture is prepared to cooperate if the new owner of Wakayama Marina City moves forward with a private-sector bid in Japan’s second national IR round.
Hokkaido accelerates casino push as 15 companies enter the race
The shift follows the August 21 acquisition of 100% of Wakayama Marina City Co., Ltd. by fav hospitality group, a subsidiary of Kasumigaseki Capital Co., Ltd., a company listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Prime Market and led by Koshiro Komoto, Representative Director, President and CEO. The purchase price was not disclosed. Marina City already includes the Wakayama Marina City Hotel, Kuroshio Market, Kishu Kuroshio Onsen, a yacht club and Porto Europa, all located on an artificial island in Wakayama Bay.
Koshiro Komoto
Wakayama previously tried to join Japan’s first wave of casino development. In 2021, it selected the consortium led by Clairvest Neem Ventures for an IR worth approximately JPY470 billion, backed by around JPY145 billion in equity and JPY325 billion in debt. Caesars Entertainment was included as the casino operator. The project projected JPY710 billion in economic impact during construction, around JPY310 billion annually once operational, and up to 14,000 jobs, but the Prefectural Assembly rejected it on April 20, 2022 by a 22-18 vote.
Ken Hirata
Interest is not limited to Wakayama. In Sasebo, Nagasaki, the Sasebo Chamber of Commerce and Industry, chaired by Takuya Kaneko, called on August 25, 2026 for a renewed bid centered on Huis Ten Bosch. Any new proposal would require support from Mayor Daisuke Miyajima, Nagasaki Governor Ken Hirata, and the theme park’s owner, Asian investment group PAG.
Nagasaki previously submitted a plan in April 2022 with Casinos Austria International Japan, valued at roughly JPY438.3 billion, but the central government rejected it on December 27, 2023 over concerns about financing and overall viability. Japan’s next IR application window will run from May 6 to November 5, 2027 under the Act on Development of Specified Integrated Resort Districts of 2018. With Osaka already approved, Japan can still award up to two additional IRs, reopening a major pipeline for investment, tourism, MICE and employment around large-scale casino resorts.
