In a significant legal proceeding held at the Numazu Branch of the Shizuoka District Court, testimonies were heard from key individuals involved in the civil lawsuit concerning the devastating landslide disaster that struck Atami City in July 2021. Plaintiffs, consisting of the bereaved families and victims of the landslide, are seeking damages from the previous and current landowners, as well as local government authorities, concerning land involved in the landslide. The lawsuit is centered around allegations of negligence and improper land use that may have contributed to the disaster.

On this particular day in court, both the contractor who carried out the land reclamation and the former landowner, a man named Mizuo Amano, were present to provide testimony. Amano, who was recently arrested on fraud charges related to COVID-19 relief funds, had his detention suspended to allow him to testify. The contractor claimed that Amano had requested the dumping of excess soil from road construction, establishing a financial agreement that underscored the commercial relationship between them. This testimony highlighted the complexities surrounding the reclamation practices that potentially led to the tragedy.

In a dramatic turn, Amano vehemently denied the contractor's claims, asserting that the soil reclamation work was unauthorized and that he had a rental agreement with the contractor. When pressed by an attorney representing the current landowner regarding his responsibility for the disaster's damages, Amano attributed the mishap to poor management after the fact, maintaining that he bore no responsibility. The contrasting narratives from both parties underscore the contentious nature of the lawsuit and the search for accountability in the aftermath of the tragic landslide.