• Subscribe
  • Magazines
  • About
  • Contact
  • Advertise
Saturday 2 August 2025
  • zh-hant 中文
  • ja 日本語
  • en English
IAG
Advertisement
  • Newsfeed
  • Mag Articles
  • Video
  • Opinion
  • Tags
  • Regional
    • Africa
    • Australia
    • Cambodia
    • China
    • CNMI
    • Europe
    • Hong Kong
    • India
    • Japan
    • Laos
    • Latin America
    • Malaysia
    • Macau
    • Nepal
    • New Zealand
    • North America
    • North Korea
    • Philippines
    • Russia
    • Singapore
    • South Korea
    • Sri Lanka
    • Thailand
    • UAE
    • Vietnam
  • Events
  • Contributors
  • SUBSCRIBE FREE
  • 中文
  • 日本語
No Result
View All Result
IAG
  • Newsfeed
  • Mag Articles
  • Video
  • Opinion
  • Tags
  • Regional
    • Africa
    • Australia
    • Cambodia
    • China
    • CNMI
    • Europe
    • Hong Kong
    • India
    • Japan
    • Laos
    • Latin America
    • Malaysia
    • Macau
    • Nepal
    • New Zealand
    • North America
    • North Korea
    • Philippines
    • Russia
    • Singapore
    • South Korea
    • Sri Lanka
    • Thailand
    • UAE
    • Vietnam
  • Events
  • Contributors
  • SUBSCRIBE FREE
  • 中文
  • 日本語
No Result
View All Result
IAG
No Result
View All Result

A glimpse into Melco Resorts’ Yokohama IR vision

Ben Blaschke by Ben Blaschke
Thu 23 Sep 2021 at 05:09
A glimpse into Melco Resorts’ Yokohama IR vision
61
SHARES
1.5k
VIEWS
Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Seemingly built for the specific purpose of avoiding attention, the 24 non-descript warehouses of Yokohama’s Yamashita Wharf are a far cry from the revolutionary resorts that lawmakers envisioned when they enacted Japan’s IR legislation just a few short years ago.

Those warehouses are safe for now after Yokohama’s new mayor last week officially cancelled the IR bid, but it could have been very different.

Speaking with Inside Asian Gaming in the wake of that news, Melco Resorts & Entertainment EVP, Chief Creative and Brand Officer, Frederic Winckler, explained how Melco’s IR concept was designed to put Yokohama on the global map: creating an iconic waterfront landmark that would rejuvenate the city’s offerings while providing a new gateway into Japan.

“The Yokohama waterfront is not set up for the public so the first thing we wanted to do with our design was to give the waterfront back to the public and create a space and atmosphere that people would enjoy exploring,” Winckler said.

“It was done in a way that respected the local culture but also to become a landmark. All the attractions we designed inside were landmarks too with shows, a museum curated in partnership with Europe’s most iconic museum, a waterpark created with an artist, a sports ground designed with Naomi Osaka, adventure parks, cinemas, an arena – all done to Melco premium quality level.  All of our hotels would have been Forbes rated and we would have brought Michelin dining back to Yokohama.

“It would have provided a level and scale of hospitality that is not present in the city today.”

Utilizing the combined skills of a local Japanese architect with the global architectural expertise – Melco’s “City of the Future” Yokohama IR design pays tribute to water and nature.

The tallest central tower is inspired by the flowers of Yokohama, which is surrounded by a series of curved buildings representing waves and around them some smaller structures to represent ripples in the water.

At ground level, the site would have extended green areas from the adjacent Yamashita Park to cover the full length of the pier, significantly increasing the amount of public space and integrating directly with the city. To maintain a sense of openness, a large avenue was planned to run diagonally through the center of the IR providing a direct line of sight to two existing Yokohama landmarks – Yokohama Bay Bridge in one direction and Yokohama Marine Tower in the other.

One of the key features of Melco’s IR was to be the Welcome Hub, located at the entrance to the IR and envisioned as a new gateway to Japan for tourists.

“A lot of emphasis in the IR bid was for the IR to become a center of tourism into Japan,” said Winckler. The Welcome Hub was to have a lot of interactive rides and activities, food, dedicated with information about Japan and its regions. It would tell people what to do and where to do it, and travel agents would have been based there to make it all happen.”

The substantial MICE facility, another key component of Japan’s IR ambition, was designed to meet international expectations – “a level of MICE that does not exist in Japan,” as Winckler explains it – with the ability to convert to a large arena for concerts or sports events to allow for seasonality.

The facility was also to be environmentally focused with the roof comprising solar paneling, greenery on all sides and the world’s largest vertical garden at 500 meters long and 40 meters high. Use of this garden was to be handed over to local farmers and the herbs and vegetables it produced used by the IRs restaurants.

A retail space, already agreed upon by global luxury brands, is described by Winckler as being “similar to building a second Ginza [in Tokyo] – something Yokohama doesn’t have.

“We sought to bring a level of hospitality and tourism that would bring people to Yokohama, allow them to spend some time in the city and then continue on to see the country,” he said.

Melco’s President, Evan Winkler, said the company “has always believed that Yokohama would benefit from a superlative, world-class IR proposal that would reflect the city’s lifestyle, culture and characteristics for the world to see. Our dedication to design excellence, quality and craftmanship and our focus on combining art, design and architecture into our integrated resort proposal reflected Japan’s rich heritage, humanities and aesthetic.

“With an eye to the future, this project would have created a new Yokohama, one that could be seen as the world’s top destination for entertainment, leisure, sports and MICE events for years to come.”

An IR is no longer on Yokohama’s immediate radar, but Melco hasn’t given up on Japan just yet.

“While we are disappointed about the outcome in Yokohama, we continue to believe in the long-term prospect of Japan as a gaming market and will continue to consider bringing the world’s best integrated resort to the country,” he said.

“Melco has a track record of operating premium integrated resorts that deliver high-quality and diversified entertainment experiences and create meaningful transformation to the host cities. We believe the premium mass integrated resort model we pioneered will be considered by governments who are looking to drive economic growth through leisure and business tourism.”

RelatedPosts

Konami reveals strong growth for Gaming and Systems segment despite group-wide declines in 1H20

Konami’s Gaming & Systems suffers decline in in June quarter profits on competitive environment, rising tariff costs

Fri 1 Aug 2025 at 05:44
In the crosshairs

Fitch: No clear near-term recovery path for Philippines integrated resort Okada Manila

Wed 30 Jul 2025 at 06:08
Internet casino in Tokyo’s Shinjuku shut down

Japan asks eight countries to block its citizens from gambling on online sites

Wed 18 Jun 2025 at 07:00

Sega Sammy chairman Hajime Satomi named in Japan’s Top 50 rich list

Tue 3 Jun 2025 at 12:04
Load More
Tags: Evan WinklerFrederic WincklerirJapanMelco Resorts & EntertainmentNaomi OsakaYamashita WharfYokohama
Share24Share4
Ben Blaschke

Ben Blaschke

A former sports journalist in Sydney, Australia, Ben has been Managing Editor of Inside Asian Gaming since early 2016. He played a leading role in developing and launching IAG Breakfast Briefing in April 2017 and oversees as well as being a key contributor to all of IAG’s editorial pursuits.

Current Issue

Editorial – Better late than never

Editorial – Better late than never

by Ben Blaschke
Thu 31 Jul 2025 at 07:13

Inside Asian Gaming has in recent weeks been hearing increasing chatter around a possible move by Vietnamese authorities to introduce...

Angel’s Yasushi Shigeta

Angel’s Yasushi Shigeta

by Ben Blaschke
Thu 31 Jul 2025 at 07:08

Yasushi Shigeta, Chairman and owner of one of the world’s largest gaming industry suppliers, Angel Group, sits down with Inside...

The Magic Number

The Magic Number

by David Bonnet
Thu 31 Jul 2025 at 06:41

In this in-depth deep dive into the evolution of the Asian gaming landscape, David Bonnet argues that many regional jurisdictions...

Rashid Suliman – A road well traveled

Rashid Suliman – A road well traveled

by Ben Blaschke
Thu 31 Jul 2025 at 02:45

Rashid Suliman, Vice President of Global Gaming Asia-Pacific for casino solutions provider TransAct Technologies, provides some insight into his unique...

Evolution Asia
Your browser does not support HTML5 video.
Aristocrat
GLI
Nustar
SABA
Mindslot
Solaire
Hann
Tecnet
HKUST
NWR

Related Posts

Star to open AU$3.6 billion Queen’s Wharf Brisbane development on 29 August

Star’s Hong Kong partners officially terminate Queen’s Wharf Brisbane acquisition deal

by Ben Blaschke
Fri 1 Aug 2025 at 13:02

Star Entertainment Group’s Hong Kong partners have officially closed the door on a deal that would have seen them acquire Star’s 50% stake in their AU$3.6 billion Queen’s Wharf Brisbane development. In a Friday release, Star confirmed that Chow Tai...

Macau GGR up 19% year-on-year to MOP$22.1 billion in July, sets new post-pandemic record

Macau GGR up 19% year-on-year to MOP$22.1 billion in July, sets new post-pandemic record

by Ben Blaschke
Fri 1 Aug 2025 at 12:49

Macau’s casinos recorded gross gaming revenue of MOP$22.13 billion (US$2.73 billion) in July, up 19.0% year-on-year and setting a new post-pandemic record, according to information from the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ). The month-on-month rise comes largely unexpected, with...

Melco’s long-stalled Countdown Hotel at City of Dreams to be converted into 150-key all-suite hotel

Melco’s long-stalled Countdown Hotel at City of Dreams to be converted into 150-key all-suite hotel

by Ben Blaschke
Fri 1 Aug 2025 at 06:45

Melco Resorts & Entertainment has revealed new plans for its long-stalled Countdown Hotel transformation project at City of Dreams Macau, with the tower to be rebranded and its existing 330 standard hotel rooms converted into 150 high-end suites. The renovation...

Wynn Macau named Official Venue Partner for Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2022

Wynn Macau locks in US$1 billion increase to facilities agreement

by Newsdesk
Fri 1 Aug 2025 at 06:20

Wynn Macau Ltd said in a Thursday filing that it has reached an agreement with its lenders to increase the amount available under a revolving facilities agreement by US$1 billion. The total amount made available by lenders under the facility...

Your browser does not support the video tag.


IAG

© 2005-2025
Inside Asian Gaming.
All rights reserved.

  • SUBSCRIBE FREE
  • NEWSFEED
  • MAG ARTICLES
  • VIDEO
  • OPINION
  • TAGS
  • REGIONAL
  • EVENTS
  • CONSULTING
  • CONTRIBUTORS
  • MAGAZINES
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
  • ADVERTISE
  • 中文
  • 日本語

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

No Result
View All Result
  • 中文
  • 日本語
  • Subscribe
  • Newsfeed
  • Mag Articles
  • Video
  • Opinion
  • Tags
  • Regional
  • Events
  • Contributors
  • Magazines
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • About
  • Home for G2E Asia

© 2005-2025
Inside Asian Gaming.
All rights reserved.

  • 中文
  • English
  • 日本語