Please help us save Mount Takao from Tunnel Construction

Rivaled only by the world-famous Mount Fuji, Mount Takao in Western Tokyo is the most popular mountain destination in Japan, attracting roughly 2.5-million hikers and tourists a year. For anyone who has ever stepped foot inside Takao’s lush stream-filled forests, it certainly isn't hard to understand why. Mount Takao, located only an hour’s  train-ride from central Tokyo, is home to one of Japan's most diverse ecosystems. More than 1321 types of flora thrive here, as well as 150 species of birds and over 5,000 types of insects. The number of species of plants and flowers that inhabit this small 770-hectare forest is in fact, comparable to the total amount found in Great Britain.

Mount Takao’s forests have long been a source of both research and inspiration for generations of biologists, botanists and artists, not to mention millions of Tokyo elementary-school kids who visit Takao on their annual field trips. The mountain’s sheer beauty and proximity to urban Tokyo also makes it one of the most popular tourist attractions for foreign travelers and residents seeking refuge from the fast-paced city life. Even from a historical perspective, Mount Takao has long been considered a "sacred" mountain with special healing powers, attracting Buddhist monks from across Japan for more than a thousand years.

Mount Takao however, is currently facing a potential ecological disaster. Under construction near the base of the mountain, is a massive highway project called the Ken-odo, spearheaded by the Japanese Government--the same government that designated Mount Takao a national park in 1967. This highway will eventually require the drilling of two 10-meter wide tunnels straight through Takao's core. While efforts to designate Mount Takao and its environs a natural World Heritage Site have recently begun, the race for time has become a most crucial issue.

Ken-odo tunnel construction to Mount Shiroyama directly north of Takao, has already caused severe damage to the mountain’s delicate underwater drainage systems, causing waterfalls and centuries-old wells in the area to dry up. The damage that highway tunnel construction would have on Mount Takao—a natural wonder that exists solely because of its numerous forest streams—would not only be ultimately destructive, but irreparable once lost.

Unfortunately—and somewhat astonishingly—due to restricted media coverage surrounding this project, very few people in Tokyo even know about the Takao tunnels project. We at savetakao.com are doing everything we can to raise awareness among the residents of Tokyo and Japan. Yet at the same time, we firmly believe that international pressure or even intervention can prove to be very effective in matters of wildlife and cultural properties’ protection. We urgently ask for support from our global friends and neighbors to help us somehow, bring more attention to this most important cause. Please help us.