Critics of Tokyo redevelopment plan accuse city government of ignoring residents’ wishes

By MARI YAMAGUCHI
Associated Press

TOKYO (AP) — Critics of the planned redevelopment of a beloved centuries-old Tokyo park and historic sports stadiums have accused the government in court of ignoring the wishes of residents and catering to commercial interests. A total of 59 plaintiffs, many of them longtime residents, filed a lawsuit in February against the Tokyo Metropolitan Government to stop the project, which would build skyscrapers and new stadiums and bulldoze hundreds of trees in the Jingu Gaien green district. The plan, approved earlier this year by Tokyo’s governor, has become increasingly controversial. Followers of baseball and rugby oppose it, as well as conservationists and civic groups who say the project has advanced without transparency or adequate environmental assessment.