Apologies for being infrequent with my English updates. Here is where we are at currently:

On January 30th, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government approved the developers' application to start construction. Despite the fact that the Environmental Assessment Committee is continuing its deliberations in the face of various unresolved problems with the environmental assessment. These include lack of a clear assurance that the construction of the baseball stadium just a few meters away will not kill the iconic gingko trees, increased noise for residents of a nearby Tokyo public apartment complex due to the new siting of the baseball stadium, and a 48 page analysis by Professor Ishikawa on behalf of the UNESCO affiliated International Council on Monuments and Sites showing significant flaws in the data used by the developers to create the environmental assessment report.

The head of the Environmental Assessment Committee stated in the January 30th hearing that it the committee is unable to give a green light to the project at this time.

For a detailed writeup about the above (in Japanese) please refer to this article in Huffington Post Japan.

In an attempt to discourage us by creating the impression that it's all over, the developers have ostentatiously brought construction equipment to Jingu Gaien and fenced off the grove surrounding the National Foundation Memorial Archives.

This is completely inappropriate given that the Environmental Assessment Committee is continuing its deliberations, Governor Koike has not given final approval for the project, and permissions are also needed from Minato-ku and Shinjuku-ku for the construction. Clearly the developers are eager to rush the project forward in the face of rising public opposition, and are happy to trample over protocol in order to do so. And sadly, the bureaucrats at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government appear to be aiding and abetting the developers by fast-tracking the approvals process, and complaining that the Environmental Assessment is taking too long.

It's really the height of hypocrisy that Mitsui Fudosan, a company that boasts of its commitment to the ESGs and sustainability, and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, which trumpets its sustainability initiatives and its commitment to the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), are behaving in this manner. 

On Sunday (February 12) at 1 pm, please join us at Jingu Gaien as we protest these inappropriate actions by the developers. Now is the time to come out in force and show that what they are doing is simply unacceptable.

We will meet at the North side of the 建国記念文庫の森 (grove surrounding the National Foundation Memorial Archives) (map here), which is currently wrapped in a green fence by the developers. 

Leading environmental assessment expert Sachihiko Harashina will address the group, discussing why the developers' beginning construction preparations at this time is problematic.

Media will be attending this event so it's important to have a good turnout. Please join us!