A candidate for the vacant Yokohama mayorship says he’ll keep the Japanese city free of casino gambling should he win the special election set for Oct. 18.
Yokohama Cosmo World theme park. The next mayor of the second-largest city in Japan could enact an ordinance banning casino gambling. (Image: Yokohama Cosmo World) Kazuma Nakatani has formally entered the race, announcing his candidacy during a press conference on Sept. 12. A former member of Japan’s House of Representatives, the politician joins attorney Atsumi Harasawa and business executive Atsushi Fukuyama in declaring their candidacies.
Nakatani, who isn’t aligned with a political party but is backed by the Constitutional Democratic Party, has taken the hardest stance against Yokohama reconsidering an integrated resort (IR). Yokohama mulled an IR casino development until Takeharu Yamanaka was elected in 2021 and immediately rescinded the city’s casino considerations.
Yamanaka resigned, effective Sept. 7, after reports surfaced that he belittled his staff, referring to them as “morons” and “human scum.” The special election is expected to cost the city over 1.5 billion yen (US$9.7 million).
Casino Opposition
Harasawa, the candidate backed by the powerful Liberal Democratic Party, says she has no intention of leading an IR quest. She said in recent days that she considers the casino matter “closed.”
Fukuyama hasn’t spoken publicly about the casino issue, saying he’d prefer to focus on “city administration reform” rather than IR talks. Nakatani is pledging to keep a Las Vegas or Macau-like casino out of Japan’s second-most populous city.
I would like to consult with the city council about a casino ban ordinance, and if it can be passed, I would like to realize a situation during my term where procedures are not carried out without the knowledge of the citizens,” Nakatani said.
Nakatani said he wants to “create a warmer Yokohama” that leads to an “increased level of happiness” among its people. Casino gambling doesn’t align with that vision, the mayoral candidate said.
Nakatani served in the National Diet from October 2017 through January 2026, representing Southern Kanto. The 43-year-old previously served in the Kanagawa Prefectural Assembly.
Nakatani was ousted from the Diet during the February 2026 election, losing to LDP candidate Keisuke Suzuki.
Yokohama Key
Japan is expected to conduct a second IR bidding round sometime next year, with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi carrying on the late Shinzo Abe’s wishes of growing tourism and leisure travel.
At this juncture, it’s unclear how much interest there is among the world’s leading casino developers, as no major city or prefecture has formally announced a willingness to join Osaka in hosting an IR.
So far, only Hokkaido and Aichi have publicly expressed interest in participating in the IR bidding.
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