Japan Today
national

Petition filed against felling thousands of trees in historic Tokyo park area

28 Comments
By Kyoko HASEGAWA

The requested article has expired, and is no longer available. Any related articles, and user comments are shown below.

© 2023 AFP

©2025 GPlusMedia Inc.


28 Comments
Login to comment

It doesn’t make a jot of difference how many signatures go on the petition.

The concrete boys, the yak-controlled construction companies and the LDP cronies they have in their pockets smell cash and nothing will stop this desecration of an historic area of cultural heritage.

It is a national disgrace and and nothing will be done to stop it.

0 ( +28 / -28 )

Campaigners filed a fresh petition with almost 225,000 signatures

Since when people voices really being heard in Japan?

It doesn't matters even if that signatures numbers are multiple times. than that numbers.

-12 ( +14 / -26 )

Since when people voices really being heard in Japan?

It doesn't matters even if that signatures numbers are multiple times. than that numbers.

It matters big time. Okinawan's are living proof of having "issues" forced down their throats by groups outside the prefecture. The referendum regarding the landfill at Camp Schwab, was due totally to the signatures collected, thereby forcing the prefectural governor to hold a non-binding referendum, on the issue, even though he never wanted it.

Depending on how the petition is written, and how many signatures they need, they could force the issue with the Tokyo government as well.

12 ( +18 / -6 )

It would be good if money lost for once. That’s a really nice area, benefits a lot of local families.

The developers are going to cut down trees dedicated to Mitsuhito, the first emperor of the Japanese Empire.

Where are the black trucks and Yasukuni cosplayers?

-11 ( +15 / -26 )

It’s called Meiji Jingu Gaien for a reason. For once the right wing loons could do some real good instead of sending bullets to cinemas, shrieking in megaphones and embroidering their jumpsuits.

I think they should chain themselves to trees. Tell them rich Koreans are buying up the land.

-10 ( +12 / -22 )

What this exposes is the fact that for the virtue-signaling about "green" topics, the mayor of Tokyo truly doesn't give a hoot in reality. All the carbon-neutrality and eco-consciousness talk is just blowing smoke.

4 ( +13 / -9 )

Mayor Koike could add some real kudos to her green credentials if she was to make a positive stand against this very unnecessary development.

Her failure to do this would signal only one thing - that she has her nose in the trough just like the rest of them.

It's hard to imagine this happening in any European capital city, so short-sighted.

8 ( +14 / -6 )

Japan loves nature.

Japan loves concrete more like.

-4 ( +13 / -17 )

@Yubaru

It matters big time. Okinawan's are living proof of having "issues" forced down their throats by groups outside the prefecture

Please check again, where Okinawan people side on that particular issue and where Okinawa Governor stand on that issue. Check that perspective with Tokyo.

Not so along ago there's an opposition for one big event, we can see where people side, also where central govt side and local govt side. See what really happened with that event despite people voices .

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/may/17/tokyo-olympics-more-than-80-of-japanese-oppose-hosting-games-poll

-7 ( +2 / -9 )

There is only one way to stop the trees from coming down: Embarrass Japan on the world stage.

Get the NYTimes to run an article about it. The Japanese government HATES it when the foreign press runs a "Japan is backwards" article, but it's often the only way to get them to move.

Japan was happy as a lark to have kiddie porn until the foreign press got wind of it and embarrassed them. Then they grudgingly had to ban kiddie porn.

-7 ( +14 / -21 )

If they succeed that is a start, next actually planting more trees and greening the concrete monstrosity that is modern Tokyo.

4 ( +7 / -3 )

This is another sad desecration of history and beauty. The fact that people have to go so far to have their feelings heard just shows that they were never considered in the decision to destroy something they cherish. Alas, the rich will have their way, probably. All I think is, "Why? Why do these things happen so often?"

8 ( +9 / -1 )

With apologies to Joni Mitchell.

They took all the trees 

Put 'em in a tree museum

And they charged the people 

A hundred yen and a half just to see 'em 

Don't it always seem to go 

That you don't know what you've got 

Till it's gone 

They paved paradise 

And put up a parking lot

5 ( +6 / -1 )

Nice to see we get downvoted for daring to have an opinion which goes against the organized crime syndicates’ plans to defile a century old tribute to the Meiji Emperor.

I guess I’m doing something right.

-6 ( +6 / -12 )

Lots of downvotes but no comments defending this. Typical.

3 ( +8 / -5 )

7.4% green space compared to 27.0 percent New York, 27.9% Seoul and 33% London. What an absolute disgrace - this from a nation whose people pride themselves on being lovers of nature - just proves how brainwashed and ignorant people are here. Wareware nihonjin love nature, not like foreign savages - yet they just go and pour concrete over it all, build all sorts of unsightly buildings, and plonk a plastic statue of liberty in the middle of it all for good measure.

4 ( +7 / -3 )

Save Jingu Gaien!!!

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Japan is already short on trees. This is a mistake, they should be planting trees, not cutting them down.

6 ( +8 / -2 )

Tokyo is short on trees but not Japan. When I look out of my windows there are mountains covered with trees just starting to turn autumn red.

2 ( +6 / -4 )

70 percent of the land is forest land.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Nihon Tora

Thanks for the stats on green space, with Tokyo a lowly 7.4% green space. Even that much was likely due to international pressure to green up, being a major world city. Tokyo used to be much worse decades ago. And grim as things are, still better than Osaka. Wonder about Osaka’s stats on green space. Maybe 2-3%?

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Good luck with that petition, in a land where street trees are nearly non-existent and the trees that do exist are lopped to a bonsai size every year. No shade, no home for the birds and no oxygen, just the way we like it here in Japan.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Once the go ahead is given. It will be with surprise, coordination and speed. I assume it would be a Monday morning 1:00 am with several teams erecting 3 meter high barriers and completed by nightfall with Mobil plant inside to start removing the trees overnight. Tuesday morning all of the tree would be cut, chipped ant transport away with only a clean up crew of dozers and excavators removing stumps and preparing foundation works.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

According to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's web page, the developers said in January last year they plan to cut down 892 trees.

But they and the Tokyo government say that after the redevelopment, the number of trees and the amount of green space will in fact increase.

We saw in a previous article that this was number-fudging chicanery. They were swapping the amateur sports fields from private space to open green space along with other tricks to make things look better for the plan. The trees will still be gone, the public's access to beauty will still decrease, and the LDP insiders will still get rich at the public's expense.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Regardless of petitions, you can be sure that money has already been exchanged and dispersed to those who have a vested interest in this project. Now I wonder who that could be? But I did not realise the green space in Tokyo was so low, 7.4%. In Berlin it is 30%+. I hope this project is stopped and the area is preserved as it should be, now and for future generations.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

The ancient trees look beautiful, Tokio!

The Stadium looks ugly, Tokio!!

Why not cut down the Stadium, Tokio?

And extend the beautiful forest of trees!!! Tokio?

An ugly stadium can be built in a month, Tokio!!!!

A beautiful forest of trees takes a hundred years to grow, Tokio!!!!!

3 ( +3 / -0 )

7.4% green space compared to 27.0 percent New York, 27.9% Seoul and 33% London. What an absolute disgrace -

Let's be fair here. Japan is the 3rd most forested country in the world, following Sweden and Finland at 68%

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Login to leave a comment

Facebook users

Use your Facebook account to login or register with JapanToday. By doing so, you will also receive an email inviting you to receive our news alerts.

Facebook Connect

Login with your JapanToday account

User registration

Articles, Offers & Useful Resources

A mix of what's trending on our other sites