Oto Moves Forward with Bid Ahead of Japan’s Next IR Application Cycle

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The proposal is rooted in a revitalisation of the local area which used to stand as a coal-mining community

Casino signage

Oto town in Fukuoka prefecture is pressing ahead with plans to submit its integrated resort (IR) proposal to the prefectural government this month, with Mayor Joji Nagahara seeking assembly review in December before Japan’s next national application window opens in 2027. 

Local reports say the town has already won backing from its assembly and has secured support from some neighbouring municipalities.

A Bid Tied to Regional Revival

The proposal centred on a casino-led resort with hotels, restaurants and entertainment facilities, and is being pitched as a way to revive the former coal-mining community and the wider Tagawa area. 

“If this project is successful for the next 100 years, I am confident that it will be reborn as a major industry to replace the coal industry, and the Tagawa region will change dramatically” said Oito town mayor Joji Nagahara. 

The project could require an initial investment of 700 billion yen to 900 billion yen and attract 13 million visitors a year. It is also estimated that the IR will generate 650 billion yen annually once opened. Additionally, the development could also create about 7,000 jobs after opening, while the town has yet to name an operator or site.

Road Ahead

The plan still faces a long approval chain. Oto cannot send an application directly to Tokyo, because Japan’s IR framework requires a prefecture or designated city to work with a private-sector partner and file the area development plan.

The next national application period will run from May 6 to November 5, 2027, with only Osaka approved so far under the country’s three-IR limit. 

Osaka itself has put a minimum price tag of JPY92.113 billion, on a 42-hectare parcel beside the planned MGM Osaka resort. The land forms part of the former Osaka-Kansai Expo grounds and is separate from MGM Osaka’s Phase 1 construction zone, but officials want the two projects to work in tandem.