Tree-cutting is under way in the Jingu Gaien park district of central Tokyo – a flashpoint for more than a year between environmentalists and property developers.
Property interests led by the firm Mitsui Fudosan are executing a 10-year, multibillion-dollar plan to build three skyscrapers on the coveted land and to raze a historic baseball stadium, replacing it with a new facility.
A small group of protesters gathered ahead of the event on Monday.
The plan is backed by Tokyo Governor Yuiko Koike, who previously served as Japan’s environmental minister.