As soon as September started, there has been a wave of various big news regarding Jingu Gaien. Domestic and international interest in this issue continues to grow!
Keisuke Kuwata of the beloved Japanese rock band Southern All Stars released a new song, "Relay~Mori no Uta (poem of the forest)," which expresses his concern for Jingu Gaien, and it has attracted a great deal of attention.
Kuwata said, "I wrote this song in response to the thoughts of the late Ryuichi Sakamoto," and "Jingu Gaien is very close to the Victor Studios where we have been making music for years, so I think of it as like my hometown. That influenced this song."
The song was also featured in a Uniqlo TV commercial, and the full version of the song is playing in Uniqlo stores before its official release on September 18.
https://natalie.mu/music/news/539972?fbclid=IwAR1Z42xPrhpplrwLnwvOLeTXfXZPZZU-3FlU9hysKA5Y7wwq4L3UGTbjaWI
Meanwhile, the Paris headquarters of ICOMOS, UNESCO's advisory body on World Heritage and other cultural properties, issued a Heritage Alert, accompanied by an official request to withdraw the project.
The Heritage Alert was issued with unprecedented speed after it was adopted unanimously by the delegates of each country at the ICOMOS World Congress held in Sydney this month.
ICOMOS recognizes Jingu Gaien as a unique historical and cultural urban heritage site in the world and warned that it is under imminent threat from development.
The Heritage Alert was sent to a total of 18 parties, including Prime Minister Kishida, the ministers of MLIT, MEXT, and MOE, Governor Koike, the mayors of the wards concerned, and the four developers.
AP News: Tokyo’s threatened Jingu Gaien park placed on ‘Heritage Alert’ list by conservancy body https://apnews.com/article/tokyo-jingu-gaien-environment-parks-heritage-a80a11852d9d609dbb610545d2a5bb63
In the same vein, the citizens' group "Jingu Gaien and National Stadium Hand-Over to the Future" gathered 78 celebrities, including writers and artists, and issued a statement calling for a halt to tree cutting and a review of the project, which also received widespread media coverage.
Tokyo Shimbun: Tokiko Kato and 78 other celebrities from the entertainment and cultural fields "Don't reduce greenery in the heart of Tokyo," demanded in a statement that the felling of trees in Jingu Gaien be stopped.
https://www.tokyo-np.co.jp/article/274756?fbclid=IwAR1TCEvOgbD3TcV1ZXjyQ-CF3t3XaAA1pjnnvJaD2tmZxEfIFxhfJ7kKw68
However, despite these multiple major developments, Shinjuku Ward approved a second tree cutting application on September 8, the same day the Equimos Heritage Alert was issued. We are disappointed in the attitude of Shinjuku Ward, which ignores the voices of its citizens and from overseas.
The following protest action against Shinjuku Ward will be held tomorrow, Tuesday, September 12.
Why not stop by if you are able to take a late lunch?
9/12 13:00 Urgent protest against Shinjuku City Mayor Yoshizumi who gave permission to cut down trees! ～Standing in front of Shinjuku Ward Office
Date and time: September 12 (Tue.) 13:00~.
Place: In front of Shinjuku Ward Office (https://goo.gl/maps/cqxcWaEcXaBE4muQ9)
Mayor Yoshizumi will hold a regular press conference in front of the Shinjuku City Office from 2:00 p.m. Before that, we will appeal to the media.
The standing action is called for by Satoru Osawa of Meiji Jingu Gaien wo Kanagaeru Kai, a group that is also the leader of the lawsuit against Shinjuku City to revoke the approval to cut down the trees and create smiles for future children.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/943992763690611/