It was a rare taste of Las Vegas in Tokyo, and for two days the casino crowds -- hosted by Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara -- pumped the handles of slot machines and betted feverishly on the roulette wheel.
Though better known for his hawkish advocacy of building a stronger, more assertive Japan, Tokyo's often controversial leader has found a new cause celebre: legalized casino-style gambling.
On this one, he's got a lot of support.