PRESERVING HOLY QUIETNESS OF MT. TAKAO-A new dimension of noise control Brought by the concept of SOUNDSCAPE

摘要

Mt. Takao is located 50km west of downtown Tokyo and a holy mountain with Yakuoin Temple which has its history of over 1200 years. More than 2 millions of people visit this mountain in order to enjoy the communication with natural environment and to seek the peace of their own minds. However, a tunnel penetrating the mountain is to be constructed to let a high way run through the mountain. People opposing the plan filed two suites requesting for an injunction of the construction. This is the first court case in Japan where the plaintiffs appealed the conservation of the existing soundscape. The case is still going on. The aim of this paper is to explain a new dimension of noise control brought by the new concept of "soundscape", by reporting the case from a standing point of a soundscape researcher who was called in testimony for the court.