About 200 protesters banged drums and waved "No Nike" signs while marching Sunday in central Tokyo to oppose plans for a Nike-sponsored skateboard park where construction has displaced dozens of homeless squatters.
The faceoff between protesters on one side and the U.S. sneaker maker and the city on the other has underscored a relatively new debate in Japan about how to handle decisions on public space.
Under a 10-year deal signed in August 2009, Nike Inc. is planning to build a skateboarding facility sporting its "swoosh" logo in a grassy area and is paying ¥17 million a year for "naming rights."