TOKOROZAWA, Saitama Prefecture—Residents are bemoaning a loss of nature due to the construction of an apartment building near a wooded area where the lovable anime character Totoro is said to have been born.
The three-story building is planned to sit around the northern edge of an area known as Kami no Yama, where “konara” jolcham oak and “kunugi” sawtooth oak trees grow.
According to the book “Totoro no Umareta Tokoro” (“Where Totoro was born”), Hayao Miyazaki, director of “My Neighbor Totoro,” took Studio Ghibli producer Toshio Suzuki to Kami no Yama and other locations, saying he wanted to show where Totoro was born.
The 15-unit complex is scheduled to open in October.
Residents said the project has deprived them of a leafy natural environment.
They also said shadows of the 9.7-meter-tall building could substantially reduce sunlight hours for the neighborhood.
A large-scale land readjustment project is under way around Kami no Yama.
The city government plans to acquire part of Kami no Yama and other areas to preserve 3.5 hectares of green space.
Residents called on the city government to mediate the dispute on Feb. 3, saying the developer failed to provide explanations “in concrete and simple terms” to obtain their understanding in violation of a city ordinance.
Katsuyuki Ishikawa, who lives near the project site, said documents about construction plans were distributed to residents in October, but they only included plot plans and external views.
However, the city government said in a document dated March 13 that it has halted mediation, saying settlement of the dispute cannot be expected due to a wide gap in perceptions between the two parties, according to residents.
In response to an inquiry from The Asahi Shimbun, the developer declined to discuss details of the project.
Minoru Furusato, an expert on city planning and housing administration, said if residents aim to achieve a version of urban development that coexists with the surrounding environment and living conditions, they need a framework to discuss plans with developers, landowners and third-party experts before they are finalized.
Furusato, a special appointment professor at Saitama University’s Graduate School of Science and Engineering, said it is difficult to settle a dispute through mediation once plans by developers and landowners are determined.
