Development project at historic Kamakura site raises concerns

Japan Times

06-07-2025

A condominium development project near the site of a historic 13th-century shogun's office has sparked controversy in a popular Japanese tourist destination.
The location, once central to the Hojo clan's regency during the Kamakura shogunate, is considered an area of significant cultural and archaeological value.
Local citizens and history researchers in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture, are urging authorities to halt the construction, expressing concerns that valuable relics may be buried beneath the site. The Kamakura city government now faces mounting pressure as it struggles to balance urban development with the preservation of its rich historical heritage.
In 1225, the administrative office of the Kamakura shogunate government (1185-1333) was moved from the present-day Yukinoshita area of Kamakura to around the Komachi area of the same city. The relocated office became known as the Utsunomiya Zushi shogunate office and remained in operation for about 11 years. The term "Zushi" refers to a narrow street running east to west. The Utsunomiya Zushi office was the second of the three main government offices established by the Kamakura shogunate.
During the Kamakura shogunate, the direct line of Minamoto clan shoguns lasted only three generations. After the end of this lineage, real power shifted to the regent Hojo Yasutoki during the period of the Utsunomiya Zushi shogunate office.
At the Utsunomiya Zushi office, Yasutoki established the Goseibai Shikimoku, Japan's first legal code specifically for samurai warriors. This groundbreaking code had a profound and lasting influence on the structure and values of samurai society for generations to come.
The proposed development site spans approximately 2,000 square meters in the Komachi area. A Tokyo-based real estate company has submitted a land-use plan to the Kamakura city government, seeking approval to construct a condominium building with two above-ground floors and one basement level, including 10 residential units. The project also includes an underground parking facility, which will require excavating the site to a depth of about 5 meters.
Recent excavations at a nearby Shinto shrine uncovered the remains of a building and a well some 2 meters below the surface. While it is uncertain whether these structures are directly linked to the shogunate, their discovery suggests that any potential remains at the condominium development site are likely to be found at a similar depth.
"If remains are unearthed, it could mark an unprecedented historical discovery," said Fumihiko Gomi, professor emeritus at the University of Tokyo and a member of a group of historians and local citizens working to preserve the site of the Utsunomiya Zushi shogunate office. He emphasized that the site has the potential to be designated as a special historic site under the law for the protection of cultural properties, which would be the first such designation in Kanagawa Prefecture.
Utsunomiya Inari Shrine, which was built near the site of the Utsunomiya Zushi shogunate office, in the Komachi area of Kamakura |
JIJI
The citizens' group is also raising concerns about the Kamakura city government's approach to preserving the ancient samurai city. In the past, the city government, in collaboration with the prefectural authorities and other organizations, sought UNESCO World Heritage status for "Kamakura, Home of the Samurai" — a collection of historic sites located in and around the city.
In 2012, the Japanese government submitted a nomination dossier to UNESCO. The following year, however, an advisory panel to the World Heritage Committee recommended against the inscription, noting that Kamakura's outstanding universal value as a World Heritage site had not been sufficiently demonstrated.
The citizens' group argued that the proposed condominium development "contradicts the philosophy the city advocated when campaigning for World Heritage site status." The group suggested that if the remains of the shogunate office are discovered, the site should be preserved as a historical park. To raise awareness and support, it organized a symposium in December last year and launched a signature drive.
Before any preservation efforts can proceed, a drilling survey must be conducted to determine whether any historical remains are present at the site. Regulating the proposed condominium development poses legal challenges, while converting the area into a park will likely be hindered by financial limitations.
"We will communicate local opinions to the developer as needed," said an official from the city government's urban coordination section. "If valuable historic remains are discovered, the city government will request cooperation from the developer."
Meanwhile, the city government has decided to relocate Kamakura's city hall rather than reconstruct the aging building, citing the need to preserve the medieval ruins recently discovered beneath the site.
Members of the local citizens' group have expressed distrust toward the government, accusing it of employing double standards. One member said the city is "inconsistent in its attitude toward preserving history."