Protests have reportedly taken place in Tokyo following news about the potential demolition of Japan's second oldest baseball ground - Jingu Stadium.
The home of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPP)'s Yakult Swallows and the neighbouring Chichibunomyia Rugby Stadium is reportedly going to be demolished by 2036 as Meiji Jingu Gaien, a leafy district in Shinjuku, Tokyo that is home to the historic Jingu Stadium will be redeveloped to create a new commercial complex.
According to The Japan Times, there are concerns that the construction work will damage a nearby row of 100-year-old ginkgo trees. The Mainichi also states that activists have protested the demolition of the two stadiums due to their historical importance.
"Opposition to the project reflects simmering concerns over Tokyo's redevelopment in recent decades," writes Bloomberg News, adding that developers have been accused of "insufficient consultation with local residents."
The 37,993-seat Jingu Stadium opened in 1926. Jingu is Japan's second oldest baseball ground after Koshien Stadium in Hyogo prefecture, which opened in 1924.
Jingu is one of the remaining ballparks where legendary Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Lefty Gomez, Connie Mack, Jimmie Foxx (who documented the tour with his camera), and others played during a 1934 Major League Baseball (MLB) tour of Asia consisting of 18 games in Japan and more action in Shangai, China, and Manila, Philippines.
Jingu Stadium also hosted the demonstration game of the Tokyo 1964 Olympics between a US College team and a Japanese amateur All-Star.
