Petitions seek to save Tokyo baseball stadium Babe Ruth played at

Mon, 30 Jan 2023

Petitions seek to save Tokyo baseball stadium Babe Ruth played at

Robert Besser
22 Jan 2023, 15 GMT+10

Thousands of baseball fans have signed a petition to save the iconic Meiji Jingu Stadium in Tokyo, which is nearly a century old and was where Babe Ruth once played
Along with a famous rugby ground, the baseball stadium, which inspired best-selling author Haruki Murakami to first pick up a pen, is often compared to Wrigley Field and Fenway Park in the US
It is to be re-built in a major redevelopment project that will replace the baseball and rugby fields with skyscrapers and hotels

TOKYO, Japan: Thousands of baseball fans have signed a petition to save the iconic Meiji Jingu Stadium in Tokyo, which is nearly a century old and was where Babe Ruth once played.

Along with a famous rugby ground, the baseball stadium, which inspired best-selling author Haruki Murakami to first pick up a pen and is often compared to Wrigley Field and Fenway Park in the US, is to be re-built in a major redevelopment project that will replace the baseball and rugby fields with skyscrapers and hotels.

In an interview with Reuters, Robert Whiting, who started an online petition to save the stadium, said, "The citizens of Tokyo are going to regret it. They are going to lose a really beautiful, quiet, relaxing spot and a great place to watch a baseball game."

In 1934, Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig played at the stadium, which was built in 1926, as part of a Japanese tour.

Murakami said in 1978 he was drinking a beer and watching a game when he first thought of writing a novel, so he then bought a pen and paper on his way home and began writing his first book, "Hear the Wind Sing," on the same evening.

Meanwhile, Mitsui Fudosan, one of the developers, said they were aware of the opposition and are taking appropriate steps, but that the final decision was made by the Tokyo government.

Watch latest videos

News RELEASES

Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Japan Herald.

More Information

3 ℃

Fair in Shinagawa City

Asia Pacific

Section

Long-awaited return of tourists finally arrives in Macau gambling hub

MACAU CITY, Macau: Over the Lunar New Year holiday, Macau, the world's largest gambling hub, witnessed a resurgence of tourists ...

Singapore says core inflation up 5.1 percent in December

SINGAPORE: In December, Singapore saw its key consumer price gauge rise 5.1 percent, higher than predicted, official data said. However, ...

As births continue to fall, Japan seeks incentives for parents

TOKYO, Japan: Japanese Prime minister Fumio Kishida said this week that it was "now or never" for Japan, one of ...

As travel opens up, Thailand prepares for 5 million Chinese tourists

BANGKOK, Thailand: Following China's reopening and the end of its strict COVID-19 restrictions, businesses on Thailand's holiday island of Phuket ...

South Korean exports fall 2.7% in first 20 days in January

SEOUL, South Korea: Korea Customs Service data released this week showed that South Korean exports for the first 20 days ...

Japan's Kishida expected to visit Ukraine for talks with Zelenskiy

TOKYO, Japan: The Yomiuri newspaper has reported that Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is planning to visit Kyiv in February ...

Business

Section

Singapore says core inflation up 5.1 percent in December

SINGAPORE: In December, Singapore saw its key consumer price gauge rise 5.1 percent, higher than predicted, official data said. However, ...

Weak 2023, predicts US defense contractor General Dynamics

RESTON, Virginia: Amidst labor and supply shortages, US defense contractor General Dynamics forecasted weak 2023 results, though strong demand for ...

Serta Simmons mattresses seeks bankruptcy protection

ATLANTA, Georgia: In light of its significant debt, the slowing economy and rising interest rates stifling consumer demand, US mattress-maker ...

Walmart minimum wage to start at $14/hr, still below Costco, Target

BENTONVILLE, Arkansas: To attract and retain employees in a tight domestic labor market, Walmart has announced that it it will ...

Technology stocks in demand as U.S. markets move modestly higher

NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stocks hesitatingly continued higher Friday, reflecting widespread gains, albeit modest ones, across the globe."We're ...

Artificial meat given first approval by US officials

NEW YORK CITY, New York: As early as this year, lab-grown meat could be served in some restaurants in the ...

Movie Review

The Seventh Continent (Der siebente Kontinent)

Seventh Continent