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Facts

In early October 2023, dozens of white birch trees were suddenly planted in Yukawa Furusato Park in Naka Karuizawa, a relaxing park not only for Karuizawa residents and vacation home owners, but also for shoppers and tourists visiting Karuizawa.  As of late October, a large number of leafed-out white birch trees have been planted in the park's vast lawn, and they are beginning to encroach on the open space.
As a result of a hearing with the Community Development Division of the Town of Karuizawa, which manages the park, and a request for disclosure of public records that I submitted on October 25 (disclosure was made on November 7), we learned that these white birch trees were originally managed by the Shiiaru Club (3679-18 Nagakura, Karuizawa), a private limited company, on private land in Oiwake, Karuizawa.  Shiiaru Club approached the Nagano Prefectural Government to plant these white birch trees along the banks of the Yukawa River, a first-class river administered by the prefecture, but the prefecture refused their request from the disaster prevention standpoint in case of river flooding.
According to the administrative records disclosed through public records disclosure request by me, the Town of Karuizawa was asked by Shiiaru Club on April 3, 2023 regarding the transplantation of these white birch trees.  Only 10 days after on April 13, the Town made a positive counter proposal to the Shiiaru Club to transplant these trees in Yukawa Furusato Park (a town-owned urban park as defined in the Urban Park Act).  During these 10 days, a town official admits that the Town failed to check the compliance to Article 12 of the Enforcement Order of the Urban Parks Law, which stipulates the rules for occupying urban parks such as Yugawa Furusato Park with specific properties (the enforcement order stupulates 10 limited types of public property, such as utility poles, to occupy a park).  On June 23, the town gave a permission to Shiiaru Club to occupy Yukawa Furusato Park for 10 years free of charge by their owned and managed trees without being verified as being in compliance with the the enforcement order.  The Town of Karuizawa also assumed responsibility for damages to third parties caused by accidents by possible fallen trees in accordance with Article 717 of Civil Code (Liability of Occupants and Owners of Structures on Land, etc.) without any cost payment from the Shiiaru Club.

Issue raised.

In other words, the Town of Karuizawa has permited that this specific private company to occupy public land with free of charge, to manage their assets on that public land.  Town has also given this specific company a special favor and helped them to save future land providing costs and possible damage compensation without checking the legal conpliance.

This is not a problem that can be trivialized to a few dozen white birches.  It is a distortion of the fair administrative process in which the local government (local administrative body) of Karuizawa is suspected of providing benefits (providing town-owned land and assuming the risk of damages from possible future accidents without compensation) to a specific for-profit company, while failing to confirm proper compliance with the law.

Karuizawa held a mayoral election in January 2023, and the town's administration has been renewed with a new mayor, Michio Tsuchiya, replacing Susumu Fujimaki, who served for three terms of 12 years.  The revelation of the benefits and favors to this specific company is a serious problem for the voters of Karuizawa who supported the new administration.  Town must clarify why this has happened and stop the use of town-owned land by the specific private company.

Requests

We are starting a petition to demand the following two actions from the Town of Karuizawa.

#1 Town must explain to the people of Karuizawa how Shiiaru Club, Nagano Prefecture, and the Town of Karuizawa came to the conclusion as observed, and the fairness of the process in light of the law, by publishing the documents on the Town's website.

#2 If there is a problem with the fairness and legal compliance of the process described above, the town must immediately have the Shiiaru Club remove the white birches planted in Yukawa Furusato Park.

Your signatures will move the town.  Please cooperate with us.