The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected an appeal by farmers seeking nullification of the government's expropriation of land for Narita airport in Chiba Prefecture.
The nation's top court ruled that the government's actions were constitutional, effectively ending the legal battle that began when the lawsuit was filed in 1970.
The lawsuit was a direct challenge to the airport's construction, as it questioned whether the forced acquisition of the land was legal under the Constitution. However, the airport was built as the court battle dragged on, and the number of plaintiffs, which initially topped 1,600, had dwindled to 28 by Thursday's ruling.