In February, the Liberal Democratic Party formed a team to study the possibility of lifting the ban on casino gambling in Japan. About half of Japan's prefectures, as well as Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara, have said they want to build casino resorts to attract foreign tourists.
Japan is lagging behind the rest of Asia in this area. As China's economy has grown and more Chinese citizens travel abroad to spend their disposable income, the countries of Southeast Asia legalized gambling after noting how many of these tourists gravitate to places like Macau and Las Vegas. Even uptight Singapore is now in the process of building a huge entertainment complex centered on casinos.
The people who oppose legalized gaming in Japan say that it will stimulate underworld criminal activity and lead to the deterioration of public morals. But some types of gambling are already legal.