Incomplete or unsatisfactory process of handling city heritage of feudal castle stone wall remainder led to a group of citizens to form a study group to look into the problem and to march.
At 5 p.m. the protesters gathered in front of the city hall building. Behind the 1950-era building are the archaeological traces of the 400 year old castle of the feudal Lord Honda that administered this place for the 9 generations of the Edo Period, all 260 years of it. A sizable section of stone rampart wall remains and could be demolished in a few days, following a final quarterly meeting of the city council. Speakers talk about the improper process leading to this situation, and describe the value of this precursor to Kanazawa's much bigger castle. The mayor has talked of moving the structure, but any attempt to deconstruct and reconstruct will be fake.
The 400 year-old rampart of the feudal period castle has been undisturbed since it stones were laid by workers of the time, ancestors of today's families, probably. Modern government took over the property in 1867 that the Lord left this for the citizens. But the 1950s city hall will be replaced with a new one laid overtop the remains of the castle. The mayor's process of getting this arranged was not proper, according to citizens filing freedom of information requests. So a group of citizens formed and shouted their protests through the streets at rush hour, escorted by traffic police: Let's protect our heritage! Show us your accountability, mayor! Conserve our castle wall! and so on.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5z1764
A citizen movement formed when the city mayor's plan to put the new city hall on top of the archaeological remains of the feudal castle, of which a portion of the original rampart at the inner moat remains (about 3.5m by 20-25m). Just before the 5 p.m. start time people begin to assemble in front of the existing city hall, including a man and a women in old-style armor to lead off the march.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/gpwitteveen/36143434193/
A few minutes before 5 p.m. a group of 45-55 people got together in front of the current Echizen city hall to protest the mayor's handling of construction plans for the new city hall behind the current on and on top of the archaeological remains of the 400 year old feudal castle of Lord Honda Tomimasa and the 9 generations that ruled the city for the 260 year duration of the Edo Period. A section of stone rampart about 3.5m by 20 or 25m remains undisturbed, but in two days may be removed or reduced without due process, according to the freedom of information requests that citizens filed. There were speeches and then the circuit of chants shouted out through the city center streets. This video clip is the wrap up and farewell to protestors.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/anthroview/36117442564/
Led by 2 marchers in old-time armor and the protest leader with megaphone, the citizens marched through a section of city streets for about 20 minutes or so before arriving at the small central plaza downtown. The route began at the city hall, former location of the feudal castle and ran as far as the front gate at the temple of Shokaku-ji, since that structure was transported away from the castle after the Edo Period ended and other buildings were put on the grounds. The shouts include calls such as: Preserve the stone rampart! and Show us your accountability, mayor! and Let's make the future! and The city residents are watching you!
https://www.flickr.com/photos/anthroview/36117441874/
A few minutes before 5 p.m. on Thursday night, the marchers began to gather for a few speeches, then instructions on the route through the streets in coordination with the traffic police. The subject of dissatisfaction is the mayor and city councilors' handling of the plans to build the new city hall behind this 1950 building and on top of the archaeological remains of the feudal castle occupied by 9 generations of the Honda Tomimasa line of descent. The most visible trace of that 260 Tokugawa Period is the 3.5m by 20 or 25m section of stone rampart.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/gpwitteveen/36955470975
A group of citizens was dissatisfied with the city mayor's handling of the construction plans for the new city hall behind the current 1950 building since the last remaining piece of the Edo Period castle, a section of hand-built stone rampart measuring 3.5m by 20 or 25m, would be dislocated and deconstructed. Filing the freedom of information requests showed that the process was not thorough. The march began with speeches by megaphone in front of the city hall and then proceeded on a circuit through downtown for about 20 minutes on a route that passed the Education Department building and came up to the Shokaku-ji (temple) which hosts the original castle's main gate that was moved to safety when the feudal government transitioned to the modern, parliamentary one in 1867. The march ended at a small city center plaza where the marchers joined the chorus (in English, with lyric sheets) for "We Shall Overcome," and the old-time labor union song "頑張ろう" (ganbarou; 'here we go!').
https://anthroviews.blogspot.jp/2017/09/protest-march-paused-at-stop-light.html