Japan Press Weekly

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2014 June 18 - 24 [POLITICS]

Tokyo will review plan to build canoe course for 2020 Olympics

In response to questions by Japanese Communist Party member of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly Kachi Kayoko, the Tokyo governor on June 17 stated that he will review the plan to construct a canoe course for the 2020 Olympics which is criticized for potentially destroying the natural environment.

At a plenary meeting of the assembly, Kachi demanded that Governor Masuzoe Yoichi seek to make full use of existing facilities in revising the venue plans for the 2020 Summer Games in line with the guidelines regarding environmental protection of the International Olympic Committee.

Regarding the plan to establish a canoeing site in a seaside park, the JCP lawmaker proposed that Tokyo use unused public land adjoining the park.

A Tokyo official replied that they will take Kachi’s proposal into account. Governor Masuzoe said he will make changes in the venue plans to utilize currently available facilities and to cut spending as the total construction cost for the 2020 Olympics increased from the initial estimate of 153.8 billion yen to 380 billion yen.

Kawazawa Shozo of the Wild Bird Society Japan Tokyo Branch commented as follows:

If a canoe course is set up in the Kasai Rinkai Park, it will devastate the protected area where people can see wild birds and small animals and enjoy the natural environment. I am glad to hear that we may be able to avoid this calamity.

However, moving the construction site to the neighboring area will not eliminate the risk of damage to wildlife habitats. As we demand a change in the plan, it is our responsibility to force the Tokyo government to conduct an environmental assessment of the revised plan properly.