Tomakomai City, Hokkaido has concluded from a survey that “if conservation measures are considered, there is a possibility of securing a site of 100 hectares” of reduced environmental impact for development of an IR on the city’s candidate site.
The survey is the result of collating past data on plants, animals and groundwater, focusing on how the environment would be affected by development of a large IR and private-sector resort facility.
Governor Naomichi Suzuki revealed in November 2019 that Hokkaido would withhold an application to the central government for an IR bid in 2021 due to the impact on the natural environment, among other reasons, but options for a future attraction have not been abandoned.
A city official responded to questions from IAG asking whether there would be a future budget for an IR bid by stating, “There are plans for a large-scale resort development through the firm MA Platform (Minato, Tokyo), and the city plans to continue promotion of an international resort concept.”
Further, the city has secured JPY15 million as an IR promotion project cost in the 2020 budget and will continue to appeal to Governor Suzuki and IR operators with offices in Hokkaido.
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