Tokyo's oldest Buddhist temple lost a lawsuit Friday arguing that the city shouldn't have approved construction of a skyscraper by Mitsubishi Estate Co.
Judge Yutaka Kawakami of the Tokyo District Court dismissed the case opposing a 37-story apartment block in the Asakusa district about 400 meters west of Sensoji Temple without giving any reasons.
Sensoji Temple and a group of local residents sued the city last year, saying local regulations limit residential buildings to a maximum of five stories. Mitsubishi Estate, the nation's largest developer by market value, has sold 190 of the planned 693 units, said spokesman Ryuichiro Funo.
"To nullify the administrative body's permission is usually tough because the judges tend to respect such administrative body's permission or discretion, unless the judge regards such discretion as abusive or beyond its authority," Yoshihiro Takatori, the head of the litigation department in Tokyo at Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP., wrote in an e-mailed comment.
Towa Real Estate Development Co., a unit of Tokyo-based Mitsubishi Estate, owns half of the project. Mitsubishi Estate owns 20 percent and Mitsubishi Logistics Corp. owns the rest.