Tokyo govt blasted for fish market relocation plan

TOKYO, July 5 (Reuters) - The Tokyo government should scrap its plan to move the Tsukiji market, the world's biggest fish market, to a nearby wharf that may be contaminated with toxic chemicals, an expert and a group of wholesalers said on Thursday.

The metropolitan government announced a plan in 2001 to relocate the 230,000-sq metre (275,000-sq yard) market to a Tokyo Bay wharf, about 3 km (1.9 miles) from the heart of Tokyo.

The wharf was built on reclaimed land, and some say it is contaminated with high levels of toxic chemicals such as benzene, cyanogens and arsenic.

"It is a reckless plan to relocate a market of perishables to that contaminated soil," geologist Yukio Sakamaki told a news conference. Tokyo has said it will take steps to decontaminate the wharf, which is double the size of the Tsukiji site, before building facilities for a new market there by 2012.

Tsukiji market, established in 1935, is home to some 1,000 wholesale shops and one of the most popular tourist spots in Tokyo for Japanese and foreign visitors alike.

Sakamaki said toxic chemicals could threaten the lives of workers and visitors at the proposed new market and contaminate marine products traded there.

He added that a major earthquake could cause soil liquefaction in which a mix of polluted soil and groundwater could cover the ground and spread pollution.

"This is an outrage that gives no consideration to food safety," said Takashi Saito who represents a group of wholesalers opposed to the relocation plan. "Top priority must be placed on food safety."

Haruo Yamazaki, who heads the group of wholesalers, said the Tsukiji market had never had any contamination or hygienic problems in the past 72 years.

"There is no worry about contamination in Tsukiji. We fear that fresh and clean fish will be contaminated" at the proposed new site, he said.

Tokyo governor Shintaro Ishihara has said he plans to use the Tsukiji site as a media centre for the 2016 Summer Olympics if Tokyo wins its bid to host the Games.

I have no idea of the actual location where the Tsuikiji Market is situated. Once the market is moved out, let say; Are there any projects or plans for this desoccupated area?

Relocation of Tsukiji market a toxic issue
19 October 2009
Nikkei Weekly

The plan to relocate Tsukiji fish market, one of the largest in the world and a major Tokyo tourist attraction, will likely be the toughest problem facing Tokyo Gov. Ishihara in the 18 months left in his term.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government plans to move the old, decrepit market from its current Tsukiji location to the site of an old Tokyo Gas Co. production facility in the Toyosu district by the end of 2014. But because high levels of toxic pollutants like benzene have been detected at the site, the government will undertake countermeasures, like toxin-eating microbes and a cement-reinforced dirt wall to keep groundwater from spreading out.

Safety concerns remain about the Toyosu site, and many sellers oppose the relocation plan.

On Sept. 25 the Tokyo metropolitan assembly set up a special internal committee to discuss the market relocation. Assembly members affiliated with the DPJ have been building opposition to the relocation.

On Sept. 24 Hirotaka Akamatsu, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, who has the authority to approve relocations of wholesale markets, inspected the Tsukiji market. On the relocation plan, he said, "I will never give it my signature unless safety is assured and I'm convinced of it."

Redevelopment of the fish market at its current location has been attempted once before and given up. Responding to requests from the fishing industry, Tokyo decided to redevelop the Tsukiji site in 1986, and construction work began in 1991. The project was forced to cease due to lack of space and traffic jams after 40 billion yen had been spent.

In its 2010 budget, Tokyo plans to earmark the cost of detoxification at Toyosu, which it hopes to begin next fall. In the Tokyo metropolitan assembly, parties opposing relocation hold a majority. Strong opposition from the DPJ could even vote down Ishihara's budget.

Some observers expect the DPJ to make Tsukiji a major issue in the upper house election next summer and the Tokyo gubernatorial election in spring of 2011. Many in the Tokyo government predict the issue will inevitably drag out.

Tsukiji fish market's surging popularity sparks debate on relocation issue
5 December 2009
Mainichi Daily News

http://www.pbase.com/venturabumm/image/74252660.jpg
Source : http://www.pbase.com/venturabumm/image/74252660

Tokyo's Tsukiji fish market, which is scheduled to be replaced with a new venue due to its aging facilities, continues to be a popular tourist attraction with over 33,000 weekend visits, a survey conducted by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government has revealed.

The metropolitan government conducted its first survey on the number of tourists at the Tsukiji Market in Tokyo's Chuo Ward both on a weekday and a holiday in September this year. The results have proved Tsukiji's continuing popularity as a sightseeing spot, with 33,138 people visiting the market between 4:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Sept. 21, during the five-day weekend known as "Silver Week," and 13,417 people on a weekday on Sept. 29 during the same time.

The market's popularity exceeded that of Ueno zoo in Taito Ward, Tokyo's former trademark amusement facility operated by the metropolitan government, with about 9,300 people on average visiting the site. Since its last panda died in spring last year, the zoo has been suffering from a decline in visitors with only about 2.9 million visits in fiscal 2008.

The survey results came as a surprise to a metropolitan government official, who insists that the market's relocation to a new site in the Toyosu district, Koto Ward, is essential.

"The structure of the Tsukiji market is not suitable for so many visitors, and the building is too old. It should be moved to a new place with observation areas for tourists," the official said.

However, there have been a lot of arguments for and against the relocation issue, especially after soil contamination was reported at the scheduled construction site.

Meanwhile, market workers pointed out the market's convenient location was a major reason for its ability to attract many tourists.

Visitors from overseas accounted for about seven percent of all guests. On Sept. 21, a public holiday, the market was most crowded between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m., while on Sept. 29, a weekday, it was busiest from 5 a.m. to 6 a.m., the main period for tuna auctions.

About 30 percent of weekend visitors drove to the facility, likely due to the introduction of discount expressway tolls.

"The discount tolls will increase tourist numbers even more," said a market official.

Currently, about 14,000 people are working at the Tsukiji market, and 25,000 shoppers, including fish dealers, shop owners and restaurant operators, visit the place on average every day. Tourist numbers started to increase from around 2003 and 2004, when the market launched a promotion campaign to attract the public.

Fish fight
30 October 2010
The Economist

http://www.globalphotos.org/tokyo/20100405/IMG_3212.jpg

MANY and various are the things that Shintaro Ishihara, Tokyo’s 78-year-old governor, doesn’t like. Communist China; post-menopausal women; the French counting system (quatre-vingts, he once insisted, was not a number); immigrants and crows. But fishmongers?

Tokyo’s citizens once relished the heresies of their cantankerous, right-wing governor, overlooking the more poisonous stuff. But he is now battling over fish in the world capital of sushi; a sign, some say, that power has gone to his head near the end of three four-year terms of office.

On October 22nd Mr Ishihara said he would seize control of 128 billion yen ($1.6 billion) of the prefecture’s budget to move Tokyo’s cramped but much-loved fish market, Tsukiji, to a polluted former gas works in the east of the city. The government, he said archly, would use “the wisdom of our nation’s leading scholars” to clean up the site. Benzene levels in its soil are said to be 43,000 times the safe limit.

His plan, which is supported by big wholesalers but opposed by many of Tsukiji’s white-aproned fishmongers, has been around for a while. But since last year, when the ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) beat Mr Ishihara’s Liberal Democrats to become the largest party in the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly, DPJ members have stalled it.

Noboru Osawa, secretary-general of the DPJ in the assembly, says if Mr Ishihara uses the funds to buy the land, the party will fight it all the way to next April’s governor’s election—if he runs again. “He’s so self-centred and irresponsible. I can’t stand him,” says the soft-spoken Mr Osawa.

To ordinary voters, Tokyo may have more pressing issues on its plate than fish. But Mr Osawa sees “Brand Tsukiji” as part of a new drive to promote tourism in the culinary capital, particularly among the wealthy of China and South Korea. He says the industry will get a fillip from a new terminal and runway at Haneda airport, both opened on October 21st, which will bring early arrivals close enough to central Tokyo to get to Tsukiji for breakfast.

Even Mr Ishihara’s friends say he may be fighting a losing battle. “When one person stays in the same post for a long period, you start to think you can do whatever you want,” says his former deputy governor, Yasushi Aoyama. “He’s an entertainer, not a politician.” It seems his jokes may be wearing thin.

I think only foreigners are ranting and raving about this relocation issue..
Haven't heard of this problem among Japanese friends of mine.
Toyosu is now a popular water-front area and it has many condominiums and large shops.
I guess it's safe for workers and marine products to be there because they won't directly touch the soil. The whole facility, including its floor, will be made of concrete and visitors won't touch the soil, either.

Next week we should know more about the new market in Toyosu, on Monday the "base plan" for the new location will be made public.

☆東京都／豊洲新市場建設基本設計、１１月２９日にプロポ公告

I have no idea of the actual location where the Tsuikiji Market is situated. Once the market is moved out, let say; Are there any projects or plans for this desoccupated area?

People usually know where is Tsukiji market (and it's easy to find).:) But The exact place of the relocation is more fuzzy, because although they say "in Toyosu", it's not so close to Toyosu station, rather, it's on the completely empty reclaimed island parallel to Tsukishima and Harumi (sometimes called Shin-Toyosu, in fact it's Toyosu -chome).

Here's a map with both the actual location and the proposed relocation place:

http://img87.imageshack.us/img87/1535/map1c.jpg

Actually there's a hint, it's the Yurikamome station. It is already called "Shijomae", which means "in front of the [fish] market"

Render:

http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/4440/perspectiven.jpg

I really wonder what do they plan to do with the empty land if they move the market. In the failed 2016 Tokyo Olympics bid, they wanted to make it the "media center" of the Olympics, but now that they failed, I guess they'll have to come out with another plan, and I wonder what it could be.

With such a big area in such a central part of Tokyo, it would be a waste if they don't build tall skyscrapers. My dream is a Shiodome 2, with several ~200m. splendid skyscrapers close to each other, in a little bit scrambled plan (not perfectly in line). It is right next to Shiodome, so it's THE occasion.

http://img825.imageshack.us/img825/8166/shiodomeareafromtokyoto.jpg

Shiodome city center:

http://img194.imageshack.us/img194/9954/shiodomecitycenter20070.jpg

Then they would only have to rebuild the two outdated buildings on the NE and SW side of Shimbashi station into one or two nice high-rise, and the Skylines of Shidome, Ginza, Tsukishima, Harumi, Shibaura and Hamamatsucho would be linked, eventually being the knot between Otemachi/Tokyo eki area skyline, Roppongi and the Midtown skyline, Shinagawa/Osaki skyline and the Waterfront skyline.:):nuts::)