Tokyo's Elevated Expressway in the 1950s: Protest and Politics

The Tokyo Expressway, opened to traffic in 1959, was constructed by a private company which has managed it ever since. It leases floor space underneath the road to shops and offices. Without concern for heritage, the motorway was built on land created by filling in sections of centuries-old canals. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government was responsible for this infilling; its prime concern about motorway construction seemed to be about profiteering. Local traders' opposition to the motorway forced the Metropolitan Government to conclude a conciliatory agreement mainly to save face. Consequently, for almost two years, the Tokyo Expressway was a thriving shopping centre which barely catered for motor traffic.