Shizuoka Prefecture has filed a criminal complaint against the former owners of the land where a large debris flow began in Atami in 2021, accusing them of dumping soil outside the permitted area in a separate protected forest, a person connected to the prefecture said on the 6th. The complaint was made on suspicion of violating the Forest Act.
The complaint concerns a different site from the hillside that collapsed above the city. Protected forests (保安林, hoanrin) are designated by the government to safeguard water supplies, prevent landslides and protect the surrounding environment, and work inside them requires permission.
The 2021 flow killed and injured residents and damaged homes in the seaside city. The complaint against the former owners is for the alleged unauthorized dumping, not for the deaths or damage caused by the flow.