Save the Natural Sand Beach of Futamiura

The beautiful beach of Futamiura of Ise-Shima National Park is in danger of destruction!

This petition is written by Mr. Kenji Komatsu
to Mr. Katsuyuki Ichimi, the governor of Mie Prefecture

I am the owner of Futamiura Sea Side Barbecue Park, located at Futamiura, Ise city, Mie Prefecture, Japan. (Website http://seaside-bbq.main.jp/

Futamiura is famous for its beautiful Mekura sand beach, and known as the birthplace of Japanese public swimming. The shallow sandy beach of Futamiura has been selected as one of the best 100 beaches in Japan, and its name can be found in poems by famous Japanese poets such as Saigyo and Basho.

However, due to the five jetties that have been recently built, the landscape has changed significantly.

We received a short notice from Mie Prefecture that a new construction of a jetty will start from April 2022, and it is to be built right in front of the
Sea Side Barbecue Park. According to the construction plan, Mekura
sand, fine grained sand specific to Futamiura, will be removed and
replaced by gravel. This will totally destroy Futamiura’s beautiful and alluring sandy beach.

Should we allow this to happen?

Over 10 billion in taxes have already been put into the five completed jetties.
Has cost-effectiveness verification / evaluation been appropriately done?

I have spoken with neighbors and visitors to the barbecue park, and their
responses were as follows:

“Who will benefit from this construction?” “These jetties do not provide enough protection from Tsunamis.”
“It’s clearly an environmental destruction by the government and construction company.”
“It’s detrimental to tourism to the area.”

Futamiura is a part of the Ise-Shima National Park. According to the Japanese National Park website, their mission states “National Parks are selected, protected, and maintained by the country. Our purpose is to make sure the future generations will benefit and enjoy the beautiful nature just like we do.”

Photos of Futamiura shared on SNS reveal the preciousness of its natural beauty.
It’ is our duty to preserve the beautiful nature of Futamiura for future
generations.

I am reaching out to people around the world to share what is happening in Futamiura, and sincerely calling for your supportive action.

By collecting signatures, I can request the Japanese government the suspension of construction. Every signature counts.

Thank you all for your support.

Original text in Japanese: https://chng.it/XBmzsL56