Food park move for famous fish market
TOKYO’S popular Tsukiji fish market will not be destroyed but will be closed for up to five years while it is modernised and turned into a “food theme park”, the capital’s governor said.
The market will move to a state-of-the-art $6 billion facility in Toyosu on the eastern outskirts of Tokyo while Tsukiji is rebuilt.
After that, Tokyo will have two wholesale fish markets, Governor Yuriko Koike said.
Ms Koike had halted the planned move to Toyosu last August, months before the new market’s scheduled opening, after food safety concerns were raised.
Toxins have been found in soil and groundwater at Toyosu, previously the site of a gas plant.
The initial plan was to sell the bayside Tsukiji property after the move, possibly for a shopping mall or casino.
But Ms Koike said she was opposed to such a one-time cash gain. Tsukiji was a valuable brand and landmark, she said.
“Our country has always valued tradition,” she said.
Ms Koike declined to give a timeline, stressing she was announcing a basic plan that required approval by the city legislature.
Toyosu will also need to be cleaned to ensure its water systems and soil meet safety standards.
The city faces a challenge in calming public fears about the toxins, which have drawn widespread media coverage. The new complex, loaded with big refrigeration units, will be expensive to maintain.