Current:Home > ScamsJapanese farmer has fought for decades to stay on his ancestral land in the middle of Narita airport-InfoLens
Japanese farmer has fought for decades to stay on his ancestral land in the middle of Narita airport
View Date:2024-12-23 12:11:49
Narita airport, one of Tokyo's main international gateways, projects an image of efficiency and service characteristic of Japan's economic prominence. But beneath the surface, there is a long and troubled history of farmland being seized and lives being lost over the airport's construction and continued presence.
Takao Shito, 73, personifies the struggle over the area. Across generations, his family has cultivated farmland that planes now fly over, signifying both resilience and protest.
His family has leased the land for generations. And since it sits smack in the middle of the airport, one of Narita's two runways had to be built around it.
Even though the farm is now subjected to engine noise and air choked with jet fuel exhaust, Shito hasn't been swayed into moving.
"It's my life," he said of the land. "I have no intention of ever leaving."
Originating in the 1960s as a symbol of Japan's progress, Narita airport was placed in the rural expanse of Tenjinmine, about 40 miles from overcrowded Tokyo. Development, however, was met by opposition from local farmers who resented being pushed off their land. Their cause attracted thousands of radical leftists, and decades of violent and occasionally deadly protests ensued.
Today, the anti-Narita airport protest is the longest-running social movement in Japanese history, according to author William Andrews.
The struggle is "not just about an airport," Andrews said.
"This case of Mr. Shito has come to encapsulate the final gasps of the movement ... the very last concrete struggle," he said.
The Shito family's ties to the land span nearly a century, but the issue of ownership is complicated. He said his family would have purchased the property after World War II, if not for circumstances preventing them due to military service. Most of the property Shito lives and farms on has been declared government property, although he and his supporters purchased a small portion of the land the airport is seeking.
At least a dozen policemen and protesters have died over the conflict. In February, riot police again clashed with Shito and his band of supporters, and installed high fences that divide Shito's house and shed from his fields.
Shito's commitment to his cause has created a division in his community, straining relationships. His stance remains unchanged, even though the airport is here to stay.
"The best outcome would be for the airport to shut down," he said. "But what's important is to keep farming my ancestral land."
veryGood! (2)
Related
- NY forest ranger dies fighting fires as air quality warnings are issued in New York and New Jersey
- New Zealand fisherman rescued after floating in ocean for 23 hours, surviving close encounter with shark
- Reese Witherspoon Proves She Cloned Herself Alongside Lookalike Son Deacon Phillippe
- Oklahoma inmate back in custody after escaping from prison, officials say
- Nicole Scherzinger receives support from 'The View' hosts after election post controversy
- Kieran Culkin Winning His First Golden Globe and Telling Pedro Pascal to Suck It Is the Energy We Need
- Palestinians flee from central Gaza’s main hospital as fighting draws closer and aid groups withdraw
- Selena Gomez Declares Herself the Real Winner for Post Golden Globes PDA With Benny Blanco
- Are Dancing with the Stars’ Jenn Tran and Sasha Farber Living Together? She Says…
- How did Washington reach national title game? It starts with ice-cold coach Kalen DeBoer
Ranking
- As US Catholic bishops meet, Trump looms over their work on abortion and immigration
- With every strike and counterstrike, Israel, the US and Iran’s allies inch closer to all-out war
- A Cambodian critic is charged with defamation over comments on Facebook
- Slovenian rescuers hopeful they will bring out 5 people trapped in a cave since Saturday
- The charming Russian scene-stealers of 'Anora' are also real-life best friends
- Just Crown Elizabeth Debicki Queen of the 2024 Golden Globes Right Now
- African birds of prey show signs of population collapse, researchers say
- Cindy Morgan, 'Caddyshack' star, found dead at 69 after roommate noticed a 'strong odor'
Recommendation
-
Patrick Mahomes Breaks Silence on Frustrating Robbery Amid Ongoing Investigation
-
Live updates | Fighting near central Gaza hospital prompts medics, patients and others to flee south
-
Deputy defense secretary not told of Lloyd Austin hospitalization when she assumed his duties, officials confirm
-
Josh Allen rallies Bills for 21-14 win over Dolphins. Buffalo secures No. 2 seed in AFC
-
New York eyes reviving congestion pricing toll before Trump takes office
-
Some 350,000 people applied for asylum in Germany in 2023, up 51% in a year
-
Blinken brings US push on post-war Gaza planning and stopping conflict to UAE and Saudi Arabia
-
Dolphins vs. Chiefs playoff preview: Tyreek Hill makes anticipated return to Arrowhead Stadium