Aichi governor seeks fifth term with casino resort among priorities
The prefecture has identified land near Chubu Centrair International Airport as a possible resort site. Japan's next application round begins in May 2027.
Key points
- Hideaki Omura is expected to announce his candidacy at the Aichi assembly session convening in December.
- Voting and ballot counting in the Aichi governor election are scheduled for February 7.
- Japan's next application round for local governments seeking to host an integrated resort opens on May 6, 2027.
- Aichi has not disclosed the number or identities of parties interested in its resort proposal.
Aichi prefecture governor Hideaki Omura is seeking a fifth term in Japan's early-2027 election, with a potential casino resort among his reasons for running again, GGRAsia reported, citing local media.
Omura is expected to formally announce his candidacy during the prefectural assembly session convening in December, according to reports by Yomiuri Shimbun and The Mainichi that cited unidentified sources.
The official campaign period begins on January 21, 2027, with voting and ballot counting scheduled for February 7.
Aichi has identified land next to Chubu Centrair International Airport, near Nagoya, as a possible site for an integrated resort with a casino. Its request-for-proposal process seeking private-sector operator interest concluded on September 30.
Prefectural authorities did not identify the interested parties or say how many participated, citing the need to maintain a fair competitive environment. The prefecture said it would hold competitive dialogue with prospective developers until around the winter of the current Japanese fiscal year, which ends in March 2027.
The next national application round for local governments wishing to host an integrated resort runs from May 6, 2027, until November 5, 2027.
Omura also wants Nagoya to become a “secondary capital,” according to the local reports. The national government's policy of dispersing administrative capacity beyond Tokyo is intended to make Japan more resilient in a major disaster.
He also wants progress on the delayed Chuo Shinkansen high-speed rail project to stimulate industrial development. The route under construction will cover 265 kilometres (165 miles) between Tokyo's Shinagawa station and Nagoya station.
Shoichiro Noguchi, a 44-year-old advertising company head, has already announced his candidacy. Local media reported that he is the officially endorsed candidate of regional party Genzei Nippon, but did not mention his position on the resort.
Sources
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