Land dispute between two Tokyo wards to go to court

October 31, 2017

TOKYO- A decades-old dispute between two Tokyo wards over the ownership of a reclaimed island to be used as a venue for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics is set to go to court.

The Ota Ward assembly unanimously approved on Sunday plans to file a lawsuit with Tokyo District Court to end the dispute with Koto Ward.

The assembly refused a mediation proposal by the Tokyo metropolitan government and decided to take legal action to determine the boundary of the 500-hectare manmade island.

Ota Ward will become the first Tokyo municipality to file a lawsuit over a land dispute, according to the metropolitan government.

Ota Mayor Tadayoshi Matsubara told reporters at a press conference after the assembly's decision that he hopes the issue will be resolved "in the judicial field in a fair, impartial and rational manner."

The dispute dates back more than four decades. The ward governments of Ota and Koto tried to resolve the dispute before the quadrennial sports event is held. But they failed to reach an agreement and asked the metropolitan government in July this year to mediate the problem.

On Oct. 16, the metropolitan government presented a proposal to allocate 86.2 pct of the island to Koto and the rest to Ota. The Koto Ward assembly on Wednesday accepted the proposal.

Under the proposal, the venue to host the rowing and canoe sprint events in the 2020 Games will be owned by Koto Ward. Both Ota and Koto wards hope to use the site as a hub for sports activities and a recreation spot after the international event. Jiji Press