Tug-of-war over new Yamanote station’s name
Controversy has begun to stir among local residents and entities near the planned site of a new station on the JR Yamanote Line in Tokyo, to be built between Shinagawa and Tamachi stations.
It will be the first time in a half century that a new station will be opened on the Yamanote Line.
Though operations will not launch until around 2020, the station’s opening is a major focus of attention for merchants on nearby shopping streets as it will likely revitalize local communities.
While an official decision on the new station’s name is usually made a year or two in advance, speculation and conflicting interests have already begun to enter the picture, creating a tug-of-war.
The address of the planned site is in the Konan district of Minato Ward. As there is no station named “Konan,” the district has been seen as the leading candidate for the station’s namesake.
But people in other nearby districts, including prominent residential neighborhoods, do not agree.
To the east of the planned site is a geographical name with a long and distinguished history—Shibaura.
Others have recommended the geographical name “Mita” as the name, as Keio University’s Mita Campus is near the new station site.
Among the suggestions, the geographical name “Takanawa” has received especially strong support. An association of shop owners along a local shopping street in the district has aggressively campaigned for the name by displaying posters.
Susumu Ishikawa, who runs a restaurant and is the head of a business association playing a leading role in the campaign, said the association has already collected signatures from more than 1,000 people.
Ishikawa expressed his sense of urgency saying, “Unless we act immediately, we’ll lag behind.”
According to East Japan Railway Co., the name of a new station is usually decided one to two years before its opening. This time, a JR East official said, “We’ll consider including collecting proposals from the public.”
But the timetable and method of deciding the name have not been set, which has escalated the controversy.
As large-scale redevelopment is expected to coincide with the construction, real estate firms have been paying close attention. An official of one of the companies said, “The situation will also affect land prices in nearby districts.”
The controversy has also spread on the Internet. One proposal that has generated buzz is Sengakuji, the name of a temple with close ties to the historical heroes Ako Roshi, a group of 47 ronin whose revenge for their late lord in the 18th century is a popular historic and literary theme.
But there are already two stations with the name Sengakuji on the Toei Asakusa and Keikyu lines. Thus, if the temple’s name is used, the station name would likely be “Shin-Sengakuji Station.” The prefix “shin” means “new.”
Another proposal is “Tokyo South Gate Station,” because the new station is not far from Haneda Airport, a major gateway in the southern part of Japan’s capital.
JR East has maintained its cautious stance about the issue. A JR East official said, “Because this is a big topic of interest, we can’t carelessly mention candidate names.”
JR East announced an outline of the station’s construction plan in June this year. The new station will be the first on the Yamanote Line since 1971, when Nishi-Nippori Station was opened in Arakawa Ward, Tokyo. It will be the 30th station on the line.
A rail yard located between Shinagawa and Tamachi stations will be downsized and renovated, and the vacated land will accommodate the new station.
The new station building will accommodate platforms on the first floor, and its ticket gates will be on the second floor, which will contain a huge plaza.
Currently, the proposed names include those with geographical elements—Konan, Takanawa, Mita and Shibaura—and those related to nearby stations—Shin-Sengakuji, Shin-Shinagawa and Minami-Tamachi—as well as brand-new ones including Shinata, Tokyo South Gate and Edo Mirai.
In previous instances, when new stations were opened across the nation, similar fierce controversies arose.
Concerning the Hokkaido Shinkansen bullet train line, which is scheduled to open in late fiscal 2015, Hokuto and Hakodate entered a tug-of-war over which of the two neighboring cities will host the line’s terminal station.
Hokkaido Railway Co. (JR Hokkaido) made a judgment to compromise by using Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto as the name.
When the Nagano Shinkansen bullet train line opened, Saku and Komoro began a head-on clash over which of the cities’ names would be used. A plan was made to appease both sides by naming it Saku-Komoro.
But the then Nagano governor intervened in the controversy by proposing the name of “Sakudaira Station” saying, “This region, including Komoro, has been known as Sakudaira.”
Kunitachi Station on the JR Chuo Line was named by taking one kanji character each from the names of Kokubunji and Tachikawa stations when it was opened between the two stations in the prewar era. The first kanji character of Kokubunji can also be pronounced “kuni.”
If the controversy over the new Yamanote Line station escalates, there is a possibility that Shinata, which comprises the first kanji characters of Shinagawa and Tamachi, may present a solution.
A JR East official said, “Districts near the new station will become bustling areas with both historical and international features. We hope people who will visit the areas will like the name.”
Tug-of-war over new Yamanote station’s name - The Japan News