The billionaire who wants to create the ‘kawaii’ feeling–in a casino
Kazuo Okada’s swanky complex is awash in pink and red. ‘As soon as people arrive here, I want them to think ‘fun’,’ he says
The man whom subordinates call “The Chairman” sat on a pink high-backed chair in the middle of a quiet atrium of the lobby of Okada Manila, the newest premiere leisure center in Entertainment City Manila.
Kazuo Okada smiled a lot. Wearing a navy Western suit, the Hong Kong-based businessman with a reported net worth of US$1.98 billion seemed more like a benevolent grandfather as he noted with amusement how reporters gaped at the immense pink and red space of Okada Manila’s cavernous lobby during a “preview” before Christmas.
The self-made billionaire born during World War II in Japan chairs the eponymous 44hectare Y-shaped integrated resort that boasts 500 gaming tables, 3,000 electronic gaming machines, 21 self-operated restaurants and more than 50 stores featuring premiere and luxury brands.
The newest landmark along Pasay City’s shoreline is poised to be the next hottest destination this side of Asia. A preview highlight was the open-air concert on the grounds where Regine Velasquez, Lani Misalucha and Bamboo performed on Dec. 21. Okada Manila officially opens on the last week of February.
“We chose bright colors on purpose, warm colors that would make guests feel welcome. We want people to come in without hesitating,” he told Inquirer Lifestyle through an interpreter.
Hands-on mogul
Business associates are quick to point out how handson Okada, 74, has been with the construction and design of the leisure center.
Antonio “Tony Boy” Cojuangco, a director of Tiger Resort leisure and Entertainment Inc., pointed out in July that Okada, whom the Filipino businessman described as “an engineer by nature,” made personal visits at the site of the leisure center when it was still under construction “to make sure everything works perfectly.”
(Tiger Resort, Leisure and Entertainment Inc. is a member of Okada’s Universal Entertainment Corp., a casino resorts developer and operator based in Japan. Tiger was granted a provisional license to establish and operate a casino with a total investment of US$2 billion in Entertainment City in August 2008.)
Tiger Resort chief operating officer Takahiro Usui said the Chairman was the one who insisted that Okada Manila’s staff always practice “omotenashi,” loosely translated as “the heart of Japanese hospitality,” so guests will enjoy “better care than other resorts” in the area.
“We have to exceed [the normal] level of hospitality since we have his family name. We cannot fail this brand, we need to succeed to be number one in the Philippines,” Usui stressed.
Natural interest
The drive exhibited by his subordinate perfectly reflects the passion Okada showed in creating his business empire. Story has it that the young Okada, who displayed a natural interest in mechanics, lost his father during childhood and was inspired to enroll in engineering vocational school to support his mother.
As a young adult, he showed this knack for tinkering with electronics when he began repairing jukeboxes and TV sets imported from the United States. He eventually rented out these jukeboxes and the business grew. In a year, he expanded his enterprise to include gaming machines, allowing Okada to participate in the slot machine and pachinko industry in the 1980s.
Okada’s Universal Entertainment developed the first computer-operated slot machine, which had a predetermined lottery system, and later produced more amusement equipment that proved popular to gaming fans.
In 2001, Universal Entertainment reached 200 billion yen in annual sales, allowing it to become the leading slot machine manufacturing company in Japan. Three years later, Universal Entertainment was listed in Jasdaq (Japan Securities Dealers Association) Securities Exchange.
Okada later penetrated the US market by investing US$380 million in Wynn Resorts after he was introduced to casino mogul Steve Wynn. Okada enjoyed a 20 percent stake in the Wynn Casinos in Las Vegas and Macau before he and Wynn embarked on separate paths.
East Asian art
A lesser known fact about Okada is his interest in East Asian art. The Okada Art Museum, located in the mountainous region of Hakone in Japan, features his collection of Japanese, Chinese and Korean art works from ancient times to the present.
The three-year-old museum has an impressive exhibition space of 5 square kilometers where Japanese paintings, Oriental ceramics, Asian lacquer ware, Chinese bronze and religious art are on display.
There are those who say Okada goes to the museum to decompress, and that he projects a childlike energy whenever he enjoys his collection.
Perhaps it was this same energy that inspired the married father of three to include pink walls and ceilings, multicolored carpets and intricate origami as wall sculpture in Okada Manila.
Okada chuckled when this reporter pointed out that the interiors are kawaii, the Japanese word for cute. He said the kawaii aesthetic is intentional. “As soon as people arrive here, I want them to think ‘fun,’” he explained.
Happy employees
Okada’s plan is to “keep employees happy,” especially the Filipinos who will benefit from the professional training that his company offers.
“If we do not have happy employees, we cannot extend that happiness to our guests. We believe that if we keep our employees happy, they would take care of our guests with sincerity. Sincerity also comes with
omotenashi,” he said. The Chairman’s wish is for Filipino employees to go up the ranks once Okada Manila operates in high gear. And despite the February grand launch, he is already excited.
“Destination- and travelwise, you can come to the Philippines from any Southeast Asian country within two to four hours. Filipinos are also very hospitable. And with 7,107 islands, the Philippines is really beautiful,” he said.
Ever hands-on, Okada added that the finishing touches on the gaming floor are not yet complete.
“I am not yet fully satisfied with our current situation here,” he said. “However, I assure you, the next time you come back, everything would be much nicer. There would be things that will amaze you,” he promised.