Sasebo Eyes Second Chance to Bring Casino Resort to Northern Nagasaki
This comes three years after Japan rejected the area's first bid
Sasebo’s business community is trying again to bring a casino-linked integrated resort to northern Nagasaki, less than three years after Japan rejected the area’s first bid over financing concerns.
The Sasebo Chamber of Commerce and Industry has asked Mayor Daisuke Miyajima to reopen the process ahead of the next national application window, which runs from May 6, 2027 to Nov. 5, 2027.
According to GGRAsia, chamber Chairman Takuya Kaneko said, “Our stance on IR remains unchanged. We should try having an IR to revitalise the city and the northern part of the prefecture.”
A Second Run at a Familiar Idea
The chamber says the earlier bid still offers value because local officials and business leaders have already worked through site, financing and partnership questions.
Japan’s central government rejected Nagasaki prefecture’s 2023 proposal for land next to the Huis Ten Bosch theme park, saying the funding plan did not meet its standards.
At the time, Takashi Oya, president of Kyushu Resorts, said the firm would not seek an appeal of the Japanese government’s decision to reject its plan for an integrated resort (IR) in Nagasaki Prefecture.
The city is now being urged to consider other locations as well, not just the original resort area.
Consider Other Areas
That matters because Japan’s integrated resort framework remains tightly controlled.
Miyajima said, “The know-how and insights gained from the non-approval in calendar year 2023 are quite significant.”
He added that the city should consider a renewed push while watching national and prefectural developments. “Regarding the location, we should consider not only inside the Huis Ten Bosch [theme park footprint] but also other places in the city,” he said.
