Group urges Japanese officials to review support of TMT project

HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - Thousands are urging officials in Japan to review the country’s support of the Thirty Meter Telescope project.

According to NHK, a group delivered a petition with more than 8,500 signatures to the Education, Science and Technology Ministry in Tokyo. Most of the signatures were from people in Japan, but some were also from Japanese nationals living in Hawaii.

Japan is pledging about $340 million to support the project — some of which will come from taxpayers.

A member of the group said the project should also be reviewed because it has become a “serious issue” among Native Hawaiians.

Japan is one of five countries involved with building the telescope on Mauna Kea.

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