Yokohama Mayor Fumiko Hayashi Committed to Casino Resort

Yokohama Mayor Fumiko Hayashi has formally proclaimed her reelection hunting expedition for what would follow a nearly unprecedented fourth term.

Her Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which controls the National Diet inward Japan’s central government as wellspring as the Yokohama City Council, has opted non to indorse her for a fourth term. That’s due to her eld — 75 years old — and an unwritten linguistic rule that encourages Yokohama mayors to go through the torch on to someone else next trine four-year terms.

But with the city’s potency integrated resort hotel (IR) gambling casino projection hanging inwards the balance, the realness of the multibillion-dollar developing expected to follow dependent on the outcome of next month’s mayoral election, Hayashi says she is running again.

I’ll proceed to elevate the IR plan,” Hayashi stated patch announcing her quaternary mayoral campaign. “[The casino] is real important for Yokohama’s future.”

None of her eighter opponents has in public endorsed Yokohama bidding on one of Japan’s trinity IR licenses. She represents the city’s best chances of bringing a casino to the part inward an travail to acantha touristry and economical growth.

Likely Favorite

In major US elections, candidates often drop years electioneering for office. In Japan, political efforts are also inwards the deeds for considerable time. But their official candidacies are confirmed far finisher to the existent election date.

It’s long been presumed that Hayashi would seek a quaternary term. This week, the “Yokohama Citizens’ Association Aiming for Re-election of Mayor Fumiko Hayashi,” was officially unveiled. The citizens committee will piece of work to urinate sure Hayashi is reelected on Aug 22.

While subject persuasion polls over the cobbler's last match of years demonstrate a divided public on commercial gambling, the Yokohama Citizens’ Association believes there’s a considerable portion of city residents who require an IR. With the eighter from Decatur other candidates expected to divvy the anti-casino vote, Hayashi’s odds of reelection appear strong.

The gambling casino theme was also a decisive number during the three-candidate 2017 Yokohama mayoral election. Hayashi won o'er 53 percent of the vote, as the deuce other candidates, both running on play opposite platforms, split up the other 47 percent.

“The shoemaker's last election inwards 2017 ended with the 2d and 3rd come in candidates having both course on similar anti-casino platforms, finally splitting the non-Hayashi votes down feather the middle,” Joji Kokuryo, managing manager of Tokyo-based Bay City Ventures, told The Nihon Times last week.

Greatest Threat

Hayashi’s most significant opponent is, perhaps, LDP member Hachiro Okonogi. In June, the Diet repp resigned from his put up and his stance as chair of the National Public Safety Commission and government minister of the Casino Regulatory Commission to challenge Hayashi.

Okonogi’s decision was seen as a betrayal to Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, and his predecessor PM Shinzo Abe. Okonogi served inward prominent positions in both administrations.

I’m running for mayor in tell to stop over the cassino call effort,” Okonogi said lastly month announcing his mayoral entry. “Many people contradict the plan, and the surroundings inwards Yokohama is not correct for it now.”

Thirty-seven days remain until the mayoral election is decided.