このアップデートの日本語版はこちら。

Tomorrow, Saturday, 22nd, D2021 will hold a rally opposing the Jingu Gaien redevelopment plan [Demonstration with Ryuichi Sakamoto].

It will be held from 4 to 8 pm, in the square in front of the Meiji Memorial Museum (Google map link) in Jingu Gaien.

This will be a live music rally featuring musicians and others who have worked with Sakamoto on environmental and social issues.

I (Rochelle Kopp) will give a speech in the latter half of the rally at around 18:30. 

Let's all show up and demonstrate how many people want to protect Jingu Gaien!

If possible, please wear a SAVE JINGU GAIEN T-shirt or bring a placard.

Participants:

• Masafumi Goto
• Rei Nagai
• Mahitu the Peepo
• Shinoda Mill + Oi Kazuya
• Saho Terao
• The sacred murmurs (ermhoi&Utena Kobayashi)  
• butaji
• hasunuma hashita
• U-zhaan
• Seiko Ito (reads messages)
• Rochelle Kopp 
• Natsuka Kusumoto (President of Amamo, a student organization)
• Shigenori Kanehira 
• and others

Statement by the organizers of D2021

We are inspired by the life of Ryuichi Sakamoto, who, as a human being, continued to communicate to society,
We, as human beings, will follow in the footsteps of Ryuichi Sakamoto's life.

D2021 has been working with Ryuichi Sakamoto to create an ideal society that has yet to be seen. What we have realized through our work together is that even if one person is famous, society will never change unless all of us, regardless of whether we are famous or unknown, take on the challenge together.

One month before his death, Sakamoto-san wrote a letter to the Governor of Tokyo, the Mayors of Shinjuku and Minato wards, the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs asking them not to cut down trees in Jingu Gaien.

The letter stated, "We should not sacrifice the precious trees that our predecessors have spent a century protecting and nurturing, just for immediate economic gain. These trees benefit everyone, but only a handful of wealthy people will benefit from development.

It would be a lie to say that we have no hesitation to gather after Sakamoto's death. But we also know that he would not want us to end up doing nothing.
We feel as if heaven is urging us to "do something." 

With concern and love for society, let us gather in front of the trees scheduled to be cut down in the Jingu Gaien Garden to follow his attitude and will.
We will continue. We will connect.