Not In My Backyard: The Unwelcome Casino Neighbors
Let me tell you, gambling in Japan... it's a whole different ball game. We're not talking about your run-of-the-mill Vegas slots - it's all about pachinko, this wild pinball-like craze that's got everyone hooked. We're throwing down over ¥23 trillion (yeah, that's like $203 billion) on this stuff every year. Toss in the lottery, some horse races, and a bit of bike and boat action - the only legal bets in town - and you're staring at this massive money pit. Pachinko alone? It's out-betting every casino in Macau combined https://top-casinos.co.nz/. Crazy, right?
So, the government's been trying to sell us on loosening up the rules. When the Diet finally gave casinos the green light in December, after what felt like an eternity of arguing, the public wasn't exactly throwing a party. NHK, our go-to broadcaster, said only 12% were cheering. Even the Komeito party leader, with their Buddhist vibe, said no thanks. People were freaking out about the yakuza and problem gambling, and 'anti-social forces' is just code for those gangster nightmares.
Our Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, though, he's got dollar signs in his eyes. He's talking about these family-friendly mega resorts, not just casinos but hotels, shopping malls, and conference spaces. With the economy dragging its feet, Abe's all in - he's betting on a ¥5 trillion payoff from building these behemoths, and another ¥2 trillion a year rolling in once they're up and running. Makoto Yonekawa from Daiwa Research thinks it's all about the tourist bucks gothamist.
And you better believe the big casino players are smelling the money. Las Vegas Sands, MGM, Hard Rock - they're all lining up, trying to snag a piece. The government's still figuring out the rules, like how many casinos and where to stick 'em. But let me tell you, it's not all smooth sailing from here.
There's talk of hitting locals with an entry fee to keep 'em away, all thanks to pachinko's shady image. That industry's taken a hit, sure, about 40% smaller than its glory days, but it's still got its claws in a ton of addicts and it's hanging onto around 11,000 parlors. The people aren't having it - the mayor cnn of Yokohama got cold feet on her casino support because of all the heat. And investors? They're sweating bullets over folks saying ""Not in my backyard!"" A whopping 75% of my fellow Japanese would rather not have a casino anywhere near their homes.
Osaka's got a clever plan to dodge this bullet, though - they're thinking of building a resort on a man-made island. They're looking at the Chinese big spenders to fill the place. Last year, about 20 million folks dropped by Japan, and the government's dreaming about doubling that by 2020, along with the cash they spend.
But even if we get these casinos off the ground, we've got a tough fight against places like Macau, Malaysia, and Singapore. What's Japan's secret weapon? Our culture. Yonekawa's betting on people falling for our onsen retreats in Hokkaido and our legendary hospitality - it's all about the hot springs and the sushi, baby. That's what'll keep 'em coming bbc.
And Hamamura? Despite his party throwing shade, he's rooting for the casinos. He's like, ""Come on, we can't be the odd one out when over 140 countries are raking it in with legal casinos."" He gets that we're not exactly jumping for joy, but he's on a mission to show us the bright side - like giving tourists something to do after dark. That's his pitch, anyway.