Japan Press Weekly

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2018 October 3 - 9 [SOCIAL ISSUES]

Amid concerns over pollution, new market will open at Toyosu

Amid public concerns over pollution, food safety, and other problems, the new wholesale vegetable, fruit, and fish market will open within a week at a former Tokyo Gas plant site in the Toyosu district as the replacement to the famed Tsukiji fish market.

However, a mountain of problems has been left unresolved.

Last month, a land subsidence-caused crack measuring 10 meters in length and 5 centimeters in depth was found near a fish wholesale building at the new market site. In response to an Akahata inquiry, the market operator, the Tokyo metropolitan government, admitted that it was last year that the first crack was found at the site, adding that so far, the cracks have been discovered at more than 10 locations there. Without reporting this fact, the Tokyo government submitted to the Agriculture Ministry an application for the opening of the new Toyosu market.

In June, it came to light that underground water, surely containing toxic substances such as benzene, surged up to the ground level around the fish wholesale building.

In addition, when the powerful typhoon No.24 approached the Tokyo area at the beginning of this month, a building for fruits and vegetables was inundated with water.

A group of wholesale traders at the Tsukiji market on October 3 petitioned the Agriculture authority to instruct the Tokyo government to postpone the market relocation to Toyosu.

Past related articles:
> Tsukiji middle traders seek court injunction against relocation to Toyosu [September 20, 2018]
> Agriculture Minister approves opening of Toyosu market [September 11, 2018]