Residents of Oji Hill Evacuate Briefly — Voices Split Between 'Protect' and 'Remove'

The sound of breaking glass never reached the neighborhood at the foot of Oji Hill, but the evacuation call did, about twenty minutes after the cub crossed through the window-room glass at stable Window 4, "the Giant Plains" (previously reported). TDA staff and ward disaster-preparedness officers went door to door, calling for a temporary evacuation of roughly 40 households within about 200 meters of the window room. Residents began gathering at a designated community hall from just after 5 a.m.

Tomi Nagase, 78, who runs a small prepared-foods shop nearby and has lived on the hill for 52 years, was among the first to arrive. "The loudspeaker woke me up and at first I thought it was a fire. When I heard that something from the other side of the window had come through, my legs genuinely shook." She added, though, "Hearing it was a little one took some of the edge off. If it's the kind of child that could walk past my shop without me being scared, that wouldn't be so bad."

■ "Remove It," "Keep Protecting It"

Debate broke out naturally among the evacuated residents. A 44-year-old office worker said, "Something whose nature we don't even understand, that we don't know the size of once it's grown, being kept right next to a residential area is simply unsettling. Given the Edagawa case (previously reported, September 2nd), isn't removal the more reasonable course?"

By contrast, a 37-year-old homemaker who evacuated with her child said, with a rueful smile, "My child cried, 'It's a baby, don't kill it,' and wouldn't be consoled. Even after hearing it's over two meters, 'cub' seems to land first for a kid." A 69-year-old man said, "It's the first time one has come through alive, isn't it. Then I think the sensible thing is to watch and see first. I'd like removal kept as the last resort it's always been."

■ Some Came to Look

By the time the evacuation was lifted before noon, a few people drawn by curiosity had already gathered near the foot of the hill. A 16-year-old high school student said, "A friend texted me about it. I knew I couldn't get near the window room, but I thought there might be something visible from the top of the hill" — before being turned back by a TDA staff member telling him the area was off-limits.

■ TDA's Explanation

TDA's biological management division said the evacuation radius reflected "a precaution tied to the unconfirmed state of the damage to the window room, more than the danger of the cub itself." The late-morning lift followed confirmation that the cub had been secured and the room's safety checked. "We understand residents' anxiety well. We want to keep explaining the protective-observation policy carefully," an official said.

At a children's park partway up the hill, families had returned to their usual routine once the evacuation lifted. One child playing in the sandbox said, hopefully, "I hope it's a fluffy one," though the parents nearby still looked unsettled. For the residents of Oji Hill, this Thursday was not quite like any other.

■ An Unexpected Bond at the Shelter

In the hours before the evacuation was lifted, neighbors who had previously only exchanged passing greetings were seen settling in for unusually long conversations at the community hall. "It's been a while since I talked that long with someone I normally just wave to on the street," Nagase said, laughing. "After a scare like that, it almost feels like a small gain." Ward staff handed out blankets and hot drinks, and residents said the unfamiliar tension of the morning, oddly, made it easier to talk to one another.

■ The House Closest to the Window Room

A landscaper, 52, whose home sits just inside the 200-meter boundary, was among the residents closest to the window room. "It's not even a three-minute walk from my place to the window room. Honestly, my unease about staying here won't drop to zero. But if there's no report so far of the cub doing any harm, rushing to a conclusion doesn't feel right either," he said, saying he would watch how the protective observation unfolds.

■ TDA's Accountability Going Forward

Some ward assembly members have called for an early resident briefing session, warning that evacuations like today's could happen again. TDA's public affairs office said it was preparing to hold one once the cub's condition settles, with the timing still under consideration.