As part of their plan to redevelop the Meiji Jingu Gaien area in central Tokyo, Japanese real estate developer Mitsui Fudosan Co. and others began cutting down trees on Monday.

Following opposition from residents concerned about the project’s impact on the environment, Mitsui submitted a revised plan for the project to the Tokyo metropolitan government last month, which included a reduction in the number of trees to be removed.

On Oct. 21, the metropolitan government informed an environmental impact assessment panel that the revision had been accepted. The company then stated that it would begin tree removal and transplantation this month.

619 trees will be cut down under the new plan, compared to 743 under the old one. To make the growing environment for the ginkgos better, the distance between a planned new ballpark and a row of ginkgo trees, the symbol of the Meiji Jingu Gaien area, will be increased.

The redevelopment project has been criticized by the Japanese arm of the International Council on Monuments and Sites, or ICOMOS, an advisory panel to UNESCO. ICOMOS has called for additional review of the plan and said that there is insufficient scientific research.

The aging Meiji Jingu Stadium and Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Stadium will be rebuilt as part of the redevelopment plan. Additionally, office buildings will be built, with completion scheduled for 2036.