Success Kanko, the operator of the former North Safari Sapporo, has filed an administrative appeal to overturn a city order to demolish 37 buildings [1].
The dispute highlights a clash between municipal zoning enforcement and private enterprise in a city-managed urbanization control area. A ruling could determine the limits of city authority regarding long-term building violations.
Sapporo City issued the removal order in March 2024 [2], asserting that the structures were built without permission in a restricted area. The city identifies the buildings as illegal constructions. However, Success Kanko argues that the order is excessive and legally unsound.
An attorney representing Success Kanko said, "To carry out such a forceful disposition must be called illegal and unjust" [3].
The legal battle follows the closure of North Safari Sapporo in September 2023 [1]. The site, located in the Minami Ward of Sapporo, had been a point of contention for years. According to city records, officials provided guidance to the operator 21 times over a 20-year period [4].
The administrative appeal, which was processed by April 27, 2024 [2], seeks a full revocation of the removal order. The company contends that the city's approach to the 37 buildings [1] ignores the historical context of the site, and the nature of the structures.
Sapporo City maintains that the buildings violate the City Planning Act and must be removed to ensure the integrity of the urbanization control zone. The operator's challenge now moves to an administrative review process to determine if the city's enforcement is proportional or an abuse of power.
“To carry out such a forceful disposition must be called illegal and unjust”
This case tests the tension between strict urban zoning laws and the practical reality of long-term land use. If the administrative appeal succeeds, it may suggest that prolonged periods of city 'guidance' without formal enforcement can weaken a municipality's ability to suddenly mandate the demolition of established structures.
