Starting with the first Prime Minister, Hirobumi Ito, the cabinet was recently formed with the 100th Prime Minister, Kishida.
Since Hirobumi Ito assumed the office of Prime Minister in 1885, there have been as many as 100 Prime Ministers in the past 140 years.
The tenure is about 1.4 years per person. Even taking into account the turmoil of the pre-war and post-war periods, it is a rare case in the world that the head of a country that makes important decisions is replaced in a short period of time.
I assume that this is due to Japan’s unique culture of deciding everything through a council system without giving power to a single person, and where the stakes are high.
In any case, the Kishida cabinet will have to deal with a deflationary economy in which salaries have not changed for 30 years, corona measures, diplomatic issues, and other difficult decisions.
What will happen to the construction of casinos?
However, with the impact of Corona and the end of the Tokyo Olympics, we will need to find something new to attract tourists.
Even though the immigration system is gradually easing up, the impact of Corona is still enormous, but it is very important to think about the next step in anticipation of Corona.
One such move is the construction of a casino, which has been mentioned for some time, but it seems that it is not going to be a straightforward project.
There are many reasons for this, such as the addictive nature of gambling, public safety, ethics, etc., but I suspect that the biggest reason is interest.
Casinos can be enormously profitable depending on how they are run.
In fact, foreign casino owners are often at the top of the list of the richest people in the world. It is no wonder that the government, local governments, ministries, and other agencies have become like ants swarming over sugar.
The opponents cite the above reasons for their opposition, but if you trace the roots of their opposition to existing public interest gambling organizations, it may not be an easy decision to make.
However, for local cities that are experiencing depopulation, casinos have the potential to be a major catalyst for regional revitalization because they can attract not only foreign tourists but also Japanese tourists. However, in Japan, casinos are still perceived as gambling.
The majority of people in Japan still think that casinos are gambling and therefore not good. We need to change this perception and perspective first. Overseas, casinos are not simply places for gambling, but are operated based on the idea of comprehensive leisure facilities that revitalize the community and give back to the local community.
Of course, there are places in the casino where actual gambling such as roulette, poker, etc. can take place, but for those who do not gamble, there is a sports bar where you can watch sports from all over the world for free, and a food court where you can taste various kinds of food, so that both gamblers and non-gamblers can enjoy themselves.
The facilities attached to the casino include restaurants and amusement facilities where minors, who are not allowed to enter the casino due to age restrictions, and families can easily spend time together.
In addition, there are commercial facilities ranging from high-brand stores to outlet stores that cater to the needs of different types of customers, providing services that can be completed by visiting the casino.
In the next article, I will discuss the construction of the casino in more detail.
