Hard Rock International may have been busy acquiring the Mirage Hotel & Casino in Nevada recently, but they are still working to create a venue overseas. The company reiterated its commitment to Japan and plans to earn licensing to operate an Integrated Resort in the country this week.

Still Committed to the Development

Ado Machida, the President of Hard Rock Japan, recently spoke with Inside Asian Gaming on 2022 and what Hard Rock has in store for Japan. The company wishes everyone a Happy New Year, with Machida speaking about the history of success for the company in the country. Hard Rock launched its first café in the early 80s in Tokyo and remains persistent in its plans to launch an Integrated Resort (IR) in the region.

Hard Rock Japan wants to create an IR that generations of families as well as guests to the facility will be proud of. The company currently has offices in Hokkaido and Tokyo and the team is pursuing prefectures and local businesses to see the IR plans come to life.

Machida commented on the continued effort by stating: “Integrated Resorts forms one of the pillars in aiding Japan’s economic and tourism recovery, post-pandemic. We look forward to working with like-minded businesses and government officials.”

The process of creating an IR in Japan takes time, especially since the licensing process has been ongoing. The company has been focused on Japan for many years, having hired Machida in 2018 to serve as the president of the subsidiary in Japan. Upon hiring Machida, the company stated that he will play a key role in the expansion efforts of Hard Rock in developing a luxurious Japanese IR.

Benefits of IR’s

As the process of IR’s coming to Japan is ongoing, the newest Prime Minister is singing their praises. Fumio Kishida spoke with parliament soon after obtaining the Prime Minister position about the casino resorts and how they will help to advance the tourism of the country.

Kishida pointed out in October that the three IR casinos will help Japan bring in as many as 60 million annual tourists by the year 2030. The properties will include large casino gaming floors along with hotels, plus facilities to host meetings and events.

A focus will be placed on creating family-friendly entertainment so that the new properties are well-rounded for everyone in the country as well as visitors. For now, it’s just a waiting game as the process continues.