Japan Press Weekly

Tweet

2011 February 23 - March 1 [TOKYO]

Tokyo residents sue over moving of fish market to polluted site

Forty-six residents in Tokyo on February 17 filed a lawsuit against the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, claiming that the use of public funds to buy contaminated land as a relocation site for the existing fish market is illegal.

Tokyo Governor Ishihara Shintaro is pushing ahead with the plan to move the Tsukiji fish market to an area contaminated with high concentrations of toxic substances where a Tokyo Gas plant was previously located. The Metropolitan Government will purchase the land at 126 billion yen or 538,200 yen per square meter.

Plaintiffs argue that purchasing the polluted land with public money violates the Local Autonomy Act and the Local Finance Act.

At a press conference held after presenting the case, a seafood wholesaler said, “It will be wholesalers and distributors at the fish market who will be exposed to health hazards. We are very concerned about the proposed relocation of the Tsukiji fish market.”

The Metropolitan Government led by Governor Ishihara is promoting the relocation plan in disregard of the concern being expressed by residents and fish market workers. The Metropolitan Assembly has already approved a budget to buy the old Tokyo Gas plant site by the majority vote of the Democratic Party of Japan, the Liberal Democratic Party, and the Komei Party.

Koike Akira (Japanese Communist Party), who will run for Tokyo governor with the support of the Association for a Progressive Metropolitan Administration, calls for the withdrawal of the relocation plan and for renovation of the existing fish market.