Anti-Airport Farming
The airspace over central Japan has been under the control of the U.S. military since the end of World War II, known as “Yokota Airspace”. It extends north from the Izu Peninsula of Shizuoka Prefecture to Niigata Prefecture. Until now, commercial aircraft have been unable to enter this airspace for landings and departures at Tokyo's Haneda Airport without U.S. military approval.
The Narita International Airport was constructed approximately 60 kilometres (37 miles) from central Tokyo during the 1960s and 1970s. The Japanese government demolished many farms and villages to build the New Tokyo International Airport. Farmers and students protested in the 1960s and 1970s. Some activists who protested the eviction became farmers and lived on the airport site. The airport opened in 1978, and many villagers left after a long struggle. There were also disagreements between radical groups and villagers in the 1980s. Three farms stayed open inside the airport, stopping the expansion until 2023.
Icho Danchi Kanagawa
The public housing complex is situated on the outskirts of Tokyo, adjacent to the Atsugi U.S. Air Base. During the 1980s, the Japanese government established a detention centre for refugees from the Vietnam War and subsequent conflicts in Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. The public housing project subsequently became the home for these refugees, many of whom had Chinese backgrounds. Furthermore, since the 1980s, Japanese orphans from China who were left behind after the Second World War have been returning to Japan. Many have relocated to Icho Danchi in search of a Chinese-speaking community. Further, many immigrants, refugees, and migrant workers from different countries have been moving in and out of the area, creating different language-speaking communities.
A *Candy Factory Project / Imperial Decor
明治神宮外苑 Meiji Shrine Outer Garden |