Operator News
Japan – Suncity opens office to promote its Wakayama IR2.0 concept
By Phil - 14 September 2020
Asian junket investor Suncity Group has now opened an office in Wakayama which it will use as a promotional base in its attempts to land one of Japan’s first integrated resorts with its Wakayama IR2.0 concept.
The newly established Wakayama office will show concept videos and a scale model of the project.
Suncity has said it would spend between HK$30bn and HK$35bn (US$3.8bn to US$4.5bn) on an Integrated Resort in its Wakayama, in the Kansai region, on Honshū island’s Kii Peninsula.
Suncity CEO Alvin Chau said the vision was for a ‘unique project combining Wakayama Prefecture’s historical tradition, natural landscape and cultural essence.’
It will offer 2,600 rooms and villas, restaurants and a sky lounge, hot springs and spas, a substantial exhibition venue, indoor sports facilities and boat tours to nearby coastal towns and tourist attractions.
Mr. Chau said: “We will present to the world the unique charm of Wakayama. I believe our ideas are in line with what the Japanese government is looking for in regional development Wakayama is rich in Japanese tradition and culture and has an abundance of nature in the mountains and sea. We are planning a resort that incorporates these charms. We will challenge regional revitalization centering on integrated resort facilities. We will promote the development of international tourism cities that make the most of the assets of Wakayama Prefecture, the nature, culture, history and people’s activities focusing on integrated resort facilities.”
Only two casino companies, have lodged proposals for the request-for-proposal (RFP) process to develop a casino on an artificial island called Marina City in the Japanese prefecture of Wakayama, located east of Osaka Canada-based Clairvest mounting the challenge to Suncity.
The Office had previously said that over 20 international IR operators from North America, Europe and Asia had expressed their interest with an IR forum which attracted interest from operating groups including Solaire, Lucien Barriere, Mohegan Gaming, Bloomberry Resorts and Galaxy Entertainment. The government wants its IR to have a 2,500 room hotel with a convention centre and exhibition hall. Marina City is about a 40 minutes drive from Kansai International Airport and a 70 minute drive from Osaka. Its infrastructure is already well developed with many hotels and an amusement park based on medieval European townscapes.
