日本語版

My name is Tsuyoshi Hirao, and I am a former Japan national rugby team member. Chichibunomiya Rugby Ground is a "sacred place for rugby" in Japan, along with Hanazono Rugby Stadium in the western part of the country. It has a 75-year history as a dedicated rugby stadium, standing against a backdrop of rows of ginkgo trees. However, there are plans to relocate Chichibunomiya. The facility is old and needs to be renovated. However, the new stadium being planned is a rugby stadium in name only, that will bring little benefit to players and spectators. Building the new stadium will also lead to the destruction of a 100-year old forest in Jingu Gaien park.

We who love rugby do not want to be part of “sportswashing” that destroys the environment under the guise of sports. Please support this petition and read futher for more details on why the stadium rebuilding plan is so problematic. 

1. No more games under the blue sky. The roof will not open and close.

One of the most enjoyable aspects of rugby is how you can make the weather work for you. In the great games of the past, the weather is part of what is etched in everyone's memories. Games in cold rain or light snow are unique. But the planned new facility will have a closed roof, rather than the current open-air stadium.

2. Artificial turf will be used.

Artificial turf or hybrid turf will be used in the new stadium. Players may suffer burn injuries as a result. There will be more serious injuries. Microplastics are also a concern due to the friction created in the intensity of the competition.

3. The number of spectator seats will be drastically reduced from 25,000 to 15,000, a 40% decrease.

The number of seats will be reduced by 40%, nearly half. Even now, it is difficult to get tickets for many games. With 10,000 fewer seats, it will be even harder.

4. Can the new facility really be called a rugby field?　

Although detailed plans for the new facility have not yet been released, it has been announced that it will serve as a venue for live concerts, basketball games, and even ice shows. A large screen will be installed on the north side of the stands. Although it may be convenient and efficient to have a facility that can be used for anything, but can such a facility be a "sacred place for rugby” as the current Chichibynomiya is? The current Chichibunomiya rugby stadium should be renovated rather than rebuilt, avoiding spending a huge amount of money to build a new facility. Hanshin Koshien Stadium, which is even older than Chichibunomiya, was transformed into a beautiful ballpark by renovation work that was done only during the off-season. It was a renovation that respected tradition, preserving the scenery that was enjoyed by our predecessors. We would like to do the same thing, passing on a historic stadium to the next generation by renovating Chichibunomiya rugby stadium.

5. The destruction of Jingu Gaien will start with the relocation of Chichibunomiya.

The area where the new facility will be built is home to the National Foundation Memorial Archive Forest. The first step in the construction will be cutting down approximately 150 100-year-old trees, thus devasatating the forest. In this time of climate and environmental crisis, is cutting down a 100-year-old forest an act that we can be proud of in front of our children? After the current Chichibunomiya rugby stadium is relocated, in its place a high-rise building of nearly 200 meters and the new Jingu baseball Stadium will be built. The new baseball stadium’s placement will kill the trees of the famous gingko avenue. Also, the 18 ginkgo trees leading to the east entrance of Chichibunomiya stadium are scheduled to be cut down. The construction of a new stadium, which will involve environmental destruction, is out of step with the current trend in the sports world.

Jingu Gaien, along with its 100-year old forest, is a special place where people can become familiar with sports. The trees in this forest were carefully selected and planted 100 years ago with a variety of trees, so that it would become a natural and special forest.

These are all the things that will be lost in the redevelopment plan. There is only a short time left before this plan is approved, so please support us by signing this petition. Let's protect the “Sacred Place of Rugby" and pass down Chichibunomiya rugby stadium to the next generation with pride.

Endorsers:

Kohei Saito (Associate Professor, University of Tokyo)

Tatsushi Fujiwara (Associate Professor, Kyoto University)

Photo: Wikimedia Commons Edomura no Tokuzo