What Happened Thereafter:
Bitter Victory and the Use of Returned Land
This is the second and final part of an article about the consequences of the unarmed resistance and violent clashes of the Sunagawa Toso, as a sequel of "What Happened Thereafter (1)" posted on May 26, 2022.
Land Use after the Tachikawa Base was Returned to Japan
Following the cancellation of the runway extension plan, it was announced in 1969 that the US Air Force would leave Tachikawa for Yokota. In 1973, the US and Japanese governments agreed on the Kanto Plain Consolidation Plan (KPCP), which was designed to bring all Tokyo-area Air Force operations and administration to Yokota Air Base.
This should have triggered a discussion among the central and local governments and the citizens in the relevant areas, including the residents of Sunagawa.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government at least tried to expand open areas and greenery in the suburbs, as urbanization was accelerating after the Tokyo Olympics in 1964. They also recognized the importance of involving citizens in urban renewal planning.
As was reported in The Japan Times (Tokyo) on November 11, 1971, 80% of surveyed residents actually expressed opposition when the Self Defense Force of Japan (SDF) proposed using a portion of the base, mainly because they would be annoyed by the aircraft noise.
In March 1972, however, the SDF moved an air squadron onto the property while the neighbors were asleep, and the National Land Agency allowed the SDF to continue to use the area it occupied. After this coup-like maneuver, the other parties could plan the use of the remaining acreage.
The Ministry of Finance proposed a plan to divide the land into three portions for the sake of their future use:
1) the land to be used by governments and public organizations of the surrounding areas (approximately 219 hectares) ,
2) the land to be used by the national government and related organs (approximately 130 hectares),
3) the land to be reserved for the time being (approximately 111 hectares).
In 1977, the local governments of Tokyo, Tachikawa City, and Akishima City jointly announced their plan for the land use. They apparently aimed for “peaceful use,” meaning non-military use such as construction of residential facilities, colleges and parks to oppose the relocation of the SDF.
But when the national outline of the land use was presented by the Ministry of Finance and the Agency of National Land in October 1978, it had a significant influence on local sectors. Tachikawa City soon accepted the national outline.
And yet, its redevelopment of Tachikawa City as part of the national outline was delayed and the frustrated mayor urged the Ministry of Finance on. Various administration facilities, including those of the National Police Agency, Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, the Japan Coast Guard and so on were constructed.
One of the first and quickest outcomes was the national park called Showa Kinen Koen, which was opened in 1983.
Main Entrance of Showa Kinen Park
In this park, there is no sign, no mention, about the Sunagawa Toso, which "successfully stalled the land expansion plan and ultimately lead to closure of the base."
As was noted in "When the Sky Opened" by Adam Tmpkins and Charles Laurie, this is "a place for peaceful reflection and appreciation of a cleaner, peaceful Japan." And through this act of erasure, "the middle of decades of the Showa Period--the years of militarization, war, occupation, and mass protests--are ignored in favor of a more simplified bucolic past." (Quated from The Nature of Hope, p121 & 131, edited by Char Miller and Jeff Crane)
Reproduced old farmhouse in Komorebi Village
which is located in the northeastern area of Showa Kinen Park
The monorail line was constructed in 1989 and cultural and artistic facilities added along the line.
The remaining land that had been reserved was also to be more positively and effectively used as was proposed by the Ministry of Finance in 2003. A reserved portion of the land located in Sunagawa district, for instance, is now being transformed into a new incineration facility.
We should not forget about the land outside the former US Air Base, an abandoned remnant of the unsuccessful base expansion effort. Persuaded by the Procurement Agency officials, almost 80% of the owners of the land to be expropriated sold the land one after another and their former properties remained unused for years.
This caused various problems to neighboring farmers as the weeds and field mice propagated.
The members of the anti-base alliance began to solve those problems by taking care of the vacant wasteland like their own. When they realized that those pieces of land now owned by the state had no use for the time being, they developed resident-initiated farming and tree planting projects together with, and supported by, other citizens who were interested.
These moves represented their indomitable will to stay there and to keep a peaceful community alive.
In addition, one area was converted to baseball fields as a local magnate provided a bulldozer to clear and level the ground. Another area was turned into a park where a group of volunteers planted trees and weeded every year so they could enjoy an autumn festival with neighbors’ children.
Thus, this park has been called Akimatsuri Hiroba (autumn festival park). Sunagawa Heiwa Hiroba has used this park for its open air events, including the Sunagawa 60th Anniversary Commemoration in 2015.