Leading a new life without a dam vexes Yamba residents

By Natsumi Mizumoto

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15 Comments

JeffLee at 07:59 AM JST - 28th September

An interesting but baffling story. People in a scenic, rural tourism-based community oppose a massive dam project when it's announced. OK, I get it. But then when it's cancelled, they protest again, for the dam to go ahead! As for compensation for evictions and other construction damage, why not spend the money on making environmental-friendly housing, greenery, recreation, etc....rather than "making more roads and other related infrasture," as the minister said. I mean, isn't that what caused this problem in the first place?!?
GW at 09:26 AM JST - 28th September

The real problem in all this is how the LDP dragged their asses for decades on these big white elephants & just ruined peoples lives. Whether one is for or against dont mean squat to the damage the LDP has done to the environment, its people & their futures. A lot of these projects shud never ever have seen the light of day.

Most of this stuff was/is just pork barrel total wastes of time.

Having said all that though clearly the best thing to do is stopp the maddness & try to compensate those affected & re-build communities & expand them as well since the infrastructure is there for that in some cases
SumoBob at 10:53 AM JST - 28th September

As usual, it's the change people can't handle. These people protested for decades against a largely useless project (other than the construction jobs and concrete company windfalls) but once the plan was put in motion, consensus was reached and the few people still protesting accepted the inevitable.

Now the decision has been reversed and everyone's left with having to deal with the meiwaku of the whole thing; even if they never wanted the "dam" thing built to begin with.
illsayit at 12:39 PM JST - 28th September

The economy needs stimulation, for compensation, I would suggest vending the land out in a way that makes everybody a happy camper, like about 1000m2 block for 1 residence. Calling it Farming Housing, or Country Blocks. Which means you have to grow plants and you cant just concrete it over. A new tax, that would enable new home buyers to have a fair enough amount of land that they could run a business from but also have residency. Suggestive.
DeepAir65 at 02:00 PM JST - 28th September

This is bizarre - the project is 70% complete and now they cancel it. The people probably fought the project in the first place, were finally persuaded or won round some way and now it is being cancelled.

I feel sorry for these people who have probably been fighting the government for years. All the upheaval it's cost them. Probably friendships lost as some wanted it and others did not.

So sad.
semperfi at 04:11 PM JST - 28th September

****.

The real problem in all this is how the LDP dragged their asses for decades on these big white elephants & just ruined peoples lives

It does not take 50 years to build a dam. . . . . I'll bet, the money allocated for the damn went into the deep pockets of middle men . . .
It is cheaper to stop the projects now and to pay compensations than to complete the projects that probably need technological updating by now anyway.
notimpressed at 04:24 PM JST - 28th September

Its one of the costs of cleaning up after the LDP. The LDP make a mess, then the DPJ gets grief when they come in to sort it out. Glad they are not sitting on thier hands though. As for this : the stance could be taken to be prodding them to think of an idea themselves. haha, oh heaven forbid you have to think for yourselves.
USNinJapan2 at 08:14 PM JST - 28th September

The DPJ needs to complete this dam. Aside from the fact that it will cost far more to cancel the project than to complete it (the central government has to pay back the Kanto Plain prefectures who originally invested an enormous amount of capital to fund the project), the DPJ needs to think of the lives of the generations of local residents this project has affected. Despite the decades of protesting by the residents opposing the dam, the project was ultimately accepted by the vast majority of the populace years ago and they have since lived under the premise (and promise) of starting a new life and a new community (a tourism- based hot spring town) on the shores of a picturesque lake/reservoir. Those who were not willing to start over with this prospective future have permanently moved away and rebuilding the town to it's past 'glory' isn't an option. These towns people have been living their lives in preparation for the relocation, living second-rate lives, meaning they've refrained from fixing up their houses, investing in their businesses/shops, etc. because they would all soon be underwater. How would you feel if you were one of them and after years of sacrificing like this you were suddenly told that it was all for nothing? If the DPJ wants to cut out the LDP's future dam projects then fine, but they need to grandfather this one and complete it for the sake of the local lives it has already impacted.
sydenham at 09:14 PM JST - 28th September

what epithet seems appropriate for this situation? Darnit?
inakaRob at 08:56 AM JST - 29th September

SO MUCH MONEY WASTED!!! AHHHH. They could have put those billion of dollars in fusion research. or fed all of Africa for 10 years. And what I dont understand, is why this seems to be the first item on the agenda for the new gov party. I heard about this on the news even before the new party officially won.
GW at 09:25 AM JST - 29th September

usinjapanii

WRONG, throwing good $$$ into a dam that isnt needed wud simply waste more $$$, it has to stop & this stupid project is as good as any to start!

To go ahead means Jpn gets closer to national bankrupcy, you wud end up with a dead reservoir that will fill with silt & look ugly a hell when water levels drop.

Sounds like they havent done much work on the dam itself so now is definitely time to pull the plug & get on with sorting those affected
USNinJapan2 at 10:24 AM JST - 29th September

GW

The DPJ isn't denying the fact that cancelling the project would cost far more than completing it. Calling off the construction of this dam when it is more than 50% complete is wasting money. I agree with the DPJ that new dam projects should be cancelled but they need to start with one that's cost effective. They made the mistake of naming this dam in their manifesto while campaigning and now their stuck with their promise to cancel it. If saving tax money is the priority then completing this dam and then freezing any subsequent ones is the answer.
Himajin at 12:39 PM JST - 29th September

But then when it's cancelled, they protest again, for the dam to go ahead!

Because if it doesn't get completed, the last 60 years' sacrifices will have no meaning. People left their homes, closed businesses.

This dam was proposed because of massive flooding from a typhoon, an unusually big one. The area has not flooded like that ever again. The decision to build it was based on that one event...is it really necessary?

The other thing is, '50% completed' doesn't really describe the project as it stands. I saw the site several times on TV. The main dam structure isn't started yet, just the surrounding structures are done. The dam itself still has to be poured.
bdiego at 08:01 AM JST - 1st October

Just to be clear, they've actually built 0% of the actual dam. The 70% progress is all in the eminent domain money spent buying up land and rearranging the locality, as well as supporting structures. It's gone way over budget, and finishing the dam just isn't worth it from an economic perspective. Maybe a political one though.

A lot of the local residents are simply profiteers, protesting both ways. I can't blame them for feeling screwed twice, but on this occasion they literally demanded it.
inakaRob at 12:11 PM JST - 5th October

just to be claer.... they actually have started building part of the super structure. maybe you should know what you are talking about before you type something. I have seen a special on TV and you can clearly see 3 extremely large support structures of the damn are built. you can see the existing roads and bridges that go right beside it and behind it. But part, of the damn is VERY VERY much been built. Its quit tall too, and will look pretty ugly if they just leave those 3 (or 4) towers up.