The operator of Japan's Narita International Airport is considering compulsory purchase of farmers' land to finish a planned third runway. This effort brings back memories of intense land disputes and violent clashes from the airport's original construction in the 1960s.

The operator of Japan’s Narita International Airport is considering compulsory acquisition of farmers’ land to complete a planned third runway, recalling the forced land purchases that led to violent clashes between riot police and local residents when the airport was built in the 1960s. Narita International Airport Corp (NAA) has been able to secure 88.4 per cent of the land it requires to finish the extension of the existing 2,500-metre second runway at the airport and construct a new...