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2013 November 20 - 26 [ENVIRONMENT]

Residents of ancient Nara opposing construction of monorail near World Heritage

Akahata Sunday edition

Residents and tourists of the ancient city of Nara are calling for the cancellation of the plan to build a monorail near the World Heritage site.

The Nara prefectural government is planning to install a track 550 meters long by five meters wide at Mt. Wakakusa in Nara Park, a symbol of the country’s scenic beauty. The monorail, if constructed, will run along the edge of virgin forest which is designated as a special national treasure.

The planning zone is a scenic preservation district set by the Ancient Capitals Preservation Act and is also within the UNESCO-set buffer zone to “Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara”.

A citizens’ network for cultural assets in Nara has launched a signature-collection drive urging the local authorities to cancel the project. During the first three days alone, more than 450 park visitors and tourists signed the petition.

Nara Shimbun, a local paper, also wrote, “No fun-park-like rides should be allowed to exist adjacent to the precincts of ancient times (October 10).”

Inside the local government’s examination commission as well, the chairman himself questioned the plan in connection with the need to pass down cultural legacies to the next generation.

Meanwhile, the Japanese Communist Party Nara Prefectural Assemblypersons’ Group held a symposium with experts in cultural heritage and nature conservation. Many raised their voices against the plan. The JCP group took up this issue in an assembly session as well.

In the middle of one such debate, Governor Arai Shogo began toning down his eagerness to push the project, given the strong demand for landscape and environmental conservation.

Project promoters argue that the monorail is necessary as an accessibility tool for the disabled and elderly people, but Professor Emeritus of Nara Women’s University Nishimura Ichiro proposes different approaches more friendly to people and the environment, such as palanquins or sedan chairs carried by volunteer bearers.