Yokohama mayor-elect deals Japan's casino dream a fresh blow

Outlook for already-strained mega projects dims as competition wanes

Yokohama's expected withdrawal from the race to host a casino leaves only three cities, all in western Japan, bidding for the same number of licenses. (Source photos by Reuters and Kyodo)

ERI SUGIURA, Nikkei staff writer

August 24, 2021 13:00 JST

TOKYO -- The result of the Yokohama mayoral election on Sunday has cast another shadow over Japan's ambitions to build massive casino resorts, a drive that was already under strain due to the withdrawal of interest by key foreign players amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Takeharu Yamanaka, a former professor at Yokohama City University, will become mayor on Aug. 30. On Monday he told news outlets he intends to make a declaration "at an early stage" that the city of Yokohama, next to Tokyo, will not apply to join the bidding process to host a casino.