Ryuichi Sakamoto = January 2014
Ryuichi Sakamoto, a musician, has sent a letter to Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike and others requesting a review of the redevelopment of the Meiji Jingu Gaien district. The metropolitan government is in the position of approving redevelopment projects, and she wrote, “I have high hopes for the governor’s leadership.” I once again instructed (the staff) to disseminate information so that it would be conveyed to the people,” he said, and did not pay attention to it. The redevelopment plan is to begin with the demolition of Jingu Stadium No. 2 in late March. (Tomoyuki Morimoto, Chitomo Miyake)
The redevelopment of the outer gardens is mainly carried out by private companies such as Mitsui Fudosan, and Mr. Koike has emphasized that it is a private development, saying, “The story of the development of private land at Meiji Jingu Shrine” (March 3 interview). At the press conference on the 17th, it seems that he followed this stance, saying, “Isn’t it better to send a letter to the Meiji Jingu Shrine, the business operator?”
However, the metropolitan government approved the details of the redevelopment and greatly eased construction regulations in order to realize the plan. In February, it approved the implementation of the project. Opponents of the development have criticized Koike’s stance, calling it “tossing the entire enterprise.”
Mr. Sakamoto’s letter was mailed in early March to Mr. Koike, Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Keiko Nagaoka, Commissioner for Cultural Affairs Shunichi Tokura, Mayor Kenichi Yoshizumi of Shinjuku Ward, and Mayor Masaaki Takei of Minato Ward. “We should not sacrifice the trees that we have protected and nurtured for 100 years,” he said.
In an interview with the newspaper, Sakamoto, who is battling cancer, said in a written statement that he did not have the physical strength to fully participate in the anti-government movement, but said, “I thought that if I didn’t do anything to protect that beautiful place, it would leave me with a problem. I decided to write a letter so that I wouldn’t regret it.”
Regarding the reason for opposition, we are concerned that the natural environment of Gaien will be destroyed. “Trees benefit everyone without discrimination, but development benefits only the vested interests and the wealthy,” he said. On that basis, he said that it is possible to protect the natural environment in cities, and called on Paris and Rome to “maintain the landscapes that cities have acquired over the years along with their respective histories.”
Sakamoto is from Tokyo. He studied at Shinjuku High School and Tokyo University of the Arts. She also said, “I want Tokyo, where I was born and raised, to be a beautiful and attractive place.”
