MLIT Bans Use of Two Structures Near Narita Airport for One Year

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism announced in the Official Gazette dated September 18 that, based on Article 3, Paragraph 2 of the Emergency Measures Law for Ensuring the Safety of Narita International Airport (Act No. 42 of 1978), the use of two structures located in Shibayama Town, Sambu District, Chiba Prefecture, for the purposes specified in Article 3, Paragraph 1, Item 1 of the same law is prohibited for one year, from September 19, 2026, to September 18, 2027. The disposition was issued in the name of Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Yasuyuki Kaneko, and the addressees are the owners, managers, and occupiers of the structures.

The law aims to ensure the safety of Narita International Airport, and Article 3 provides the basis for the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism to take measures to prohibit or restrict structures around the airport. This announcement publicizes the details of the prohibition based on the aforementioned paragraph, after determining that there is a risk that the target structures may be used for the purposes specified in Paragraph 1, Item 1 of the same article.

The Two Target Structures and Their Locations

The structures specified in the announcement are as follows:

• Two single-story wooden buildings and their annexed structures located at 460-2 Asakura-aza-Sannodai, Shibayama Town, Sambu District, Chiba Prefecture (commonly known as the “Sanrizuka Field Hospital”)
• One single-story wooden building and its annexed structures located at 1900-4 Iwayama-aza-Oshibori, Shibayama Town, Sambu District, Chiba Prefecture (commonly known as the “Iwayama Unity Hut”)

Both are single-story wooden buildings and their annexed structures, identified by their lot numbers and common names.

Period of Prohibition and Legal Basis

• The prohibition period is one year, from September 19, 2026, to September 18, 2027.
• The legal basis is Article 3, Paragraph 2 of the Emergency Measures Law. It prohibits the use of structures deemed to be at risk of being used for the purposes specified in Paragraph 1, Item 1 of the same article.
• The date of the announcement is September 18, 2026, and the issuer is Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Yasuyuki Kaneko.

Procedures and Deadlines for Filing Objections

• Any person dissatisfied with the disposition may, pursuant to Article 18, Paragraph 1 of the Administrative Complaint Review Act (Act No. 68 of 2014), file a request for examination with the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism within three months from the day following the date on which they became aware of the disposition.
• The addressees are the owners, managers, and occupiers of the structures.

Both structures have been widely known in connection with the opposition movements surrounding the construction and expansion of Narita Airport. This disposition, by halting their use for one year, is expected to affect not only the owners and occupiers but also the activities of the movement that has used these facilities as bases. The deadline for filing an objection is within three months from the day following the date the disposition was learned, requiring prompt action from the affected parties.

Sources

• Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Public Notice (Public Notice based on the provisions of Article 3, Paragraph 2 of the Act on Emergency Measures for Ensuring Safety of Narita International Airport), Official Gazette dated September 18, 2026, Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Yasuyuki Kaneko
• Act on Emergency Measures for Ensuring Safety of Narita International Airport (Act No. 42 of 1978), Article 3
• Administrative Complaint Review Act (Act No. 68 of 2014), Article 18, Paragraph 1