Sega Sammy hometown governor visits Paradise City in Incheon

Miyazaki Governor Shunji Kono toured the Paradise City IR in Incheon, Korea, on November 15, suggesting the possibility that a second location on the Japanese southern island of Kyushu may be exploring the possibility of hosting a future IR bid.

Governor Kono’s tour of the Korean IR, which lasted about 90 minutes, was hosted by the Sega Sammy group, which is both part-owner of Paradise City as well as full owner, since 2012, of the Phoenix Seagaia Resort in Miyazaki city, Miyazaki.

Hajime Satomi, president of Sega Sammy Holdings, stated earlier this month that his company aimed for a “main position” in a Japan IR consortium. He added that they would produce an “IR Grand Design” before the end of this year.

Satomi has been repeating since at least 2012 that he expected IRs to become the future “mainstay business” of Sega Sammy Holdings, and has cited the Phoenix Seagaia Resort as one of the keys to building the needed business experience.

The visit of Governor Kono to Paradise City, therefore, appears to be part of Sega Sammy’s efforts to lobby the local government to support an IR bid from Miyazaki.

However, to date neither Governor Kono nor other levels of the Miyazaki prefectural or city governments have made any public commitment to try to move forward with this concept.

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