TLDR Sasebo’s business chamber asked the mayor to revive local casino resort plans. Japan turned down a 2023 proposal for a resort near Huis Ten Bosch theme park. The chamber’s chairman says lessons from the earlier bid could help a new effort. The mayor is open to looking at sites beyond the original location. Japan’s next application window for casino resorts runs from May to November 2027.
The Sasebo Chamber of Commerce and Industry has asked the city to take another shot at building an integrated resort with a casino. The group sent a written request to Sasebo mayor Daisuke Miyajima on Monday.
Sasebo sits in the northern part of Nagasaki prefecture. Japan’s national government rejected a casino resort proposal for the area in December 2023.
That earlier plan involved land next to the Huis Ten Bosch theme park. National authorities said they had concerns about how the project would be funded.
Chamber Says Earlier Work Still Has Value
Takuya Kaneko, chairman of the Sasebo business chamber, said the group’s stance on the casino resort has not changed. He said the project could help the local economy in Sasebo and the wider northern region of Nagasaki.
Kaneko pointed to knowledge gained during the first attempt. He said this experience could give Sasebo an edge over other cities competing for a resort license.
He called for a plan built around what actually fits Sasebo’s situation. The chamber wants the city to act before the next national application window opens.
Local governments cannot apply to host a casino resort on their own. They must first team up with a casino operator and Japanese private companies.
Mayor Open To New Locations
Mayor Miyajima said the lessons from the 2023 rejection carry weight. He said the city should think about trying