PRESS CONFERENCE
Opponents Ask Tokyo Governor Koike to Halt Gaien Redevelopment
Yoshiko Kira, Member of the House of Councillors of Japan, JCP
Akira Harada, Member of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly, JCP
Robert Whiting, Author and Journalist
11:00-12:00 Thursday, October 30, 2025
Language: The speech and Q & A will be in English & Japanese with English interpretation
Rarely has a redevelopment project been as controversial as the one unfolding at Tokyo’s Jingu Gaien district, a leafy urban oasis near Shibuya where sporting history was witnessed at the beloved 100-year-old Meiji Jingu Stadium and Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium.
Recently, the Ministry of Education allegedly rushed a decision to release control of the rugby stadium and the land it sits on. Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike must authorize the exchange of certain property rights for the redevelopment to proceed, and this month, opponents plan to submit a yobosho (official request) asking her not to do so.
The Jingu Gaien District Urban Redevelopment Project envisions new baseball and rugby stadiums, an office tower, several mixed-use buildings and cultural facilities. Proponents support creating a world-class sporting cluster with modern hotels and skyscrapers, while making the area more barrier-free and disaster-resilient. Opponents, however, argue that it is impossible to put a price tag on the inevitable environmental impact and the area’s inviolable heritage, given plans to uproot hundreds of trees and tear down the century-old monument.
A UNESCO advisory body issued a “heritage alert” in 2023. Prominent individuals, including the late composer Ryuichi Sakamoto and best-selling novelist Haruki Murakami have opposed the project. So do residents, activists, academics, lawyers and politicians who have, through protests or petitions, tried to stop the project at every turn. Three leaders of this movement – Yoshiko Kira and Akira Harada of the Japanese Communist Party and critically-acclaimed author Robert Whiting – will discuss the latest developments at the Club.
How to attend:
Please register by emailing front@fccj.or.jp with your name and the name of your media outlet. FCCJ members should also include their membership number. Doors will open 15 minutes before the event.
How to watch online: https://www.youtube.com/c/FCCJchannel/live
How to ask questions: https://forms.gle/V5fP6WcBp5TjgHNT8
TV crew: Please make a reservation at front@fccj.or.jp. Doors open for TV crews only at 30 minutes before the event. FCCJ will limit live-streaming of FCCJ-hosted press conferences to Club members only. Non-members will no longer be permitted to live-stream these events. However, non-members may still film for reporting purposes and use footage after the press conference.
*こちらのイベントをオンライン視聴ご希望の方はFCCJ YouTubeチャンネルのライブ配信をご覧ください。会場での取材、TV撮影をご希望のメディアはfront@fccj.or.jp にてご予約ください。TV撮影は予約順、ライブ配信は会員のみに限定となり、非会員の方によるライブ配信はご遠慮いただきます。
Professional Activities Committee