Protests held against planned demolition of historic Philippine ambassadorial residence

The official residence of the Philippines' ambassador in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward, which is now facing demolition. (Mainichi)

A plan to transform the historic residence of the Philippine ambassador to Japan in Tokyo into a skyscraper has sparked off opposition from both home and abroad.

Located on a hill in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward, the Western-style residence was built in 1935 by the late Iwajiro Yasuda, a grandson of the Yasuda conglomerate founder. The building was later purchased by a former Philippines president in 1944, and subsequently was turned into an ambassadorial residence.

However, according to a local news source, the Philippines government plans to demolish the house to construct a 21-story building, the top floor of which will be used as the new official residence. The Philippine government is expecting an income of about 5.7 billion yen by leasing the high-rise building to developers, with a tender scheduled for Nov. 11.

An opposition campaign has already been launched by academics and citizens' groups. Cesar Santoyo, a member of the Center for Japanese-Filipino Families, who handed over a protest letter together with other campaigners to the embassy on Tuesday, said that they would stage a demonstration in front of the ambassador's residence on Sunday afternoon.

President of the Philippines-Japan Society Francis Laurel, who spent part of his childhood at the embassy with his father, a former ambassador to Japan, said: "We planted a lot of cherry trees in the garden when we were living in Tokyo. Our Tokyo residence is said to be the most beautiful among all the ambassadorial residences overseas. The historic architecture is an asset to both countries."

The place also holds childhood memories for avant-garde artist Yoko Ono, a niece of the original owner.

"I used to look at Mt. Fuji from a small observation deck on the third floor. I was really impressed to see that the building was well preserved when I visited there about six years ago," her agent quoted Ono as saying.

Click here for the original Japanese story

比大使公邸：高層ビル計画に反対の声　東京・九段下

うっそうとした木々に囲まれたフィリピン大使公邸＝山本紀子撮影

　１９３５年に安田財閥創始者の孫の安田岩次郎氏が建て、後にフィリピン大使公邸となった東京・九段下の洋館を、高層ビルにする計画が持ち上がっている。改築に内外のフィリピン人から反対の声が上がり３日、有志がフィリピン大使館に抗議文書を手渡した。洋館は、安田氏のめいで前衛芸術家のオノ・ヨーコさんが幼いころ遊んだ、思い出の場所でもあるという。

　４４年に当時のフィリピン大統領が買い取った洋館は、千代田区富士見の高台にある。アーチ型の大きな窓やバルコニーのほか、煙突や暖炉が備えられ、広い庭には濃い緑が生い茂る。かつて大使の息子として公邸に暮らしたことがあるフィリピン日本協会のフランシス・ローレル会長は「父の在任中に桜をたくさん植えた。フィリピンの海外の大使公邸で最も美しいとされ、歴史的な建造物は両国の財産だ」と語る。

　オノ・ヨーコさんの日本側代理人によると、オノさんは「３階にある小さな展望台から、富士山を眺めたことを覚えている。６年前に訪れた時に、とても手入れが行き届いていて感銘した」と話し、フィリピン関係者に謝意を示している。

　現地報道などによると、比政府は財政難を解消するため、公邸を取り壊して２１階建てのビルとし、最上階を大使公邸とする計画を立てた。約４５００平方メートルの土地は開発業者に貸し出す。借地権の落札者は１１日に決まり、高層化で３０億ペソ（約５７億円）の収入が見込まれている。

　反対運動は大学教授や市民運動関係者に広がっている。抗議文を起草したメンバーの一人で、日比家族センター（東京都新宿区）のセサール・サントヨさんは「入札を撤回すべきだ」と語り、８日午後４時から公邸前で反対デモを行う予定だ。【山本紀子】

Race on to save Philippine-Japan friendship symbol

BY MARIKO SUGIYAMA

THE ASAHI SHIMBUN

Old buildings are being knocked down on a regular basis in the name of development in the nation's capital. But one proposed project has led to protests, attempted intervention by a foreign president, and might even bring Yoko Ono into the fray.

Resident Filipinos here submitted a letter of protest to the Philippine Embassy in Minato Ward on Tuesday, calling on Manila to rescind a public bid to lease and redevelop a 4,500-square-meter plot in the Kudanshita district of Chiyoda Ward that houses an early 20th-century mansion.

The group argues that Manila's plan would desecrate a historic monument and destroy a symbol of the history of Japan-Philippine friendship.

The two-story, Iberian-style building with its arched portico was built in 1935 as the residence of Iwajiro Yasuda, grandson of Zenjiro Yasuda, the founder of the Yasuda zaibatsu (conglomerate).

In 1944, it was sold to then Philippine President Jose Laurel.

Laurel bought the building on behalf of the Philippine government, which was under Japanese military rule at the time.

The building holds another special meaning: Ono, the New York-based contemporary artist and widow of John Lennon, is the niece of Iwajiro Yasuda, the original tenant. She is said to have frequently visited the mansion as a child.

The Philippine Department of Finance in September announced it would lease the land for 50 years, with the winning bidder selected on Nov. 11.

According to estimates, the Philippine government could gain at least 3 billion pesos (about 5.68 billion yen) through the deal.

"The obvious reason for the project is money," said Francis Laurel, president of Philippine-Japan Society Inc., an organization of resident Filipinos. "But from our point of view, (the mansion) is the most beautiful house among (ambassador's residences) of the Philippines."

Sources said the problem stems from a proposal to dismantle the mansion and construct a 21-story building in its place, with the ambassador's residence moved to a penthouse on the top floor.

Although the site is in a residential area with strict building regulations that, in principle, restrict structures to four stories, the planned structure will include a helicopter pad, making the building of use in emergencies, and thus circumventing the regulations, the sources said.

After learning of the plan, the Philippine-Japan Society sent a letter of protest to Manila, noting that the National Historical Institute of Philippines had erected a bronze marker near the entrance in 1952, and thus the structure is a national heritage site that should not be demolished or rebuilt.

The matter caught the attention of Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who once put the plan on hold.

However, the Department of Finance went ahead and announced the public bid for the lease and redevelopment rights on Sept. 15.

Although Ono has not voiced her opinion in this matter, during a trip here six years ago, she was touched to learn that the residence where she visited and viewed cherry blossoms many times as a child had been preserved for so many years, according to her representative in Japan.

The representative said Ono even wrote a letter to Arroyo expressing her gratitude.

The Philippine Embassy in Tokyo declined to comment on the issue.(IHT/Asahi: November 7,2009)