By SOICHI TSUCHIDATE/ Staff Writer
June 29, 2023 at 12:41 JST
Some of the trees in the Meiji Jingu Gaien district in Tokyo that stand in front of the National Stadium (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
Despite widening opposition and criticism from big-name celebrities, developers plan to start chopping down tall trees in August for the redevelopment of Tokyo’s Meiji Jingu Gaien area, sources said June 28.
The developers will hold a meeting this summer with local residents to try to win their understanding for the project, under which more than 700 trees taller than 3 meters will be felled.
Although 837 trees will be newly planted, concerns have risen that the project will not only cause environmental damage but will also ruin the look and atmosphere of the leafy area in central Tokyo.
The project includes rebuilding Meiji Jingu Stadium and Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium, as well as erecting two skyscrapers.
The redevelopment started in March and is scheduled to conclude in 2036.
According to sources involved in the project, developers on June 27 began demolishing a steel tower at Jingu Second Stadium, which is next to Meiji Jingu Stadium.
The sources said the developers plan to cut down 30 trees more than 3 meters tall near Jingu Second Stadium in August.
Novelist Haruki Murakami, on a radio program on June 25, called on the developer and local authorities to halt the redevelopment project.
A month before his death, musician Ryuichi Sakamoto sent a letter to Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike in February, urging her to suspend and reassess the project.
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