The result is dislocation of those who care about the land, with the usurpers exploiting the local environment for short-term gain. They see Takao as only one battle, and whether they ultimately win or lose, they will continue to fight other battles. They bring new ideas to the environmental movement, such as the concept of biocracy, coined by Hitomi Tatsuo, meaning government which takes all living things into consideration, as opposed to democracy, rule of the people only, or plutocracy, which is what we really have. When another of the local mountains was threatened, they circulated petitions against the development and reactivated the shrine at the top by sending two of their members to the Kompira Shrine in Shikoku for training as priests. Every month now, there is a picnic on the mountain on the first Sunday for anyone who wants to come up to a refreshingly natural place and meet other people in the community or outside.
Many foreigners attend, and everyone is welcome.
The numbers steadily increase. And on the 10th of each month, there is a Shinto ceremony at the shrine. Again, everyone is welcome, even foreigners. Mt. Takao Tengu Trial got underway on Monday, January 29. That gives you an idea of who the court favors, said one local resident.