The government has released a draft policy to select cities capable of bringing more foreign visitors to the country as hosts of newly legalized casino resorts.
Public opinions will be heard through Oct. 3, and the government will formally decide on the basic policy of selection early next year.
Together with casino operators, city and prefectural government officials will be required to jointly submit their project plans based on the policy, which was released Wednesday.
Japan aims to open the first group of resorts comprising casinos, hotels and shopping facilities in the late 2020s at up to three locations within the country.
The draft policy said the government plans to evaluate candidate projects in terms of international competitiveness, check whether they include a high-quality facility that can host big conventions and also confirm whether they can be accessed easily from major cities within Japan and abroad, among other aspects.
It also intends to check whether candidate sites are taking effective countermeasures against the potentially harmful impacts of casinos, and whether they will help Japan achieve its target of attracting 60 million foreign visitors to the country in 2030, according to the draft.
The application deadline has yet to be decided. So far, the prefecture and the city of Osaka as well as Yokohama and the prefectures of Wakayama and Nagasaki have become candidates for the resorts, while Tokyo, Hokkaido and the city of Chiba are also considering joining the race.