Japan Press Weekly

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2017 August 9 - 15 [SOCIAL ISSUES]

Tokyo governor’s local party refuses to set up special committee on Tsukiji market relocation

At an extraordinary session of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly on August 8, a motion to set up a special committee regarding the planned relocation of the Tsukiji Market to the Toyosu district was rejected by a majority vote of Tokyo Governor Koike Yuriko’s local political party “Tomin First no Kai” and the Komei Party.

The motion was jointly submitted by the Japanese Communist, Democratic, and Liberal Democratic parties to the assembly.

Governor Koike admitted in June that it will be impossible to decontaminate the soil and groundwater at the Toyosu site to a level below the environmental standards, though it was a prerequisite for the Tsukiji market relocation. Later in the same month, the governor announced a basic policy that the metropolitan government will transfer the central wholesale market to the polluted Toyosu site and redevelop the current Tsukiji market site. On July 21, after the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election early that month, the governor ordered relevant department chiefs to give a concrete shape to her basic plan.

However, Governor Koike did not explain to the metropolitan assembly about her basic policy of transfering the Tsukiji market without cleaning up the Toyosu site.

At the extraordinary session, prior to the vote, JCP lawmaker Ozaki Ayako took the rostrum in support of the motion. She pointed out, “Giving up the ‘decontamination’ policy means that the metropolitan government breaks its promise made to Tokyo residents and wholesalers at the Tsukiji market.” Ozaki stated, “The market relocation is the most important issue of the metropolitan government and thus the metropolitan assembly is called to fulfill its responsibility. Since the metropolitan assembly plays a key role in examining the governor’s proposal, the setting up of a special committee on the Tsukiji market relocation issue is crucial.”

Ozaki emphasized that the JCP has consistently opposed the relocation plan of the Tsukiji market, in which wholesalers sell perishable foodstuff, to the soil-contaminated Toyosu site. Ozaki insisted that if it is impossible to remove hazardous chemical substances from the site, the Tokyo Metropolitan government should start the renovation of the Tsukiji market facilities without relocatng to the Toyosu site.

Past related articles:
> Gov. Koike despite admitting to presence of toxic residues hints at ‘declaring safety’ of new fish market site [June 23, 2017]
> Tokyo governor decides to relocate fresh market to contaminated Toyosu site [June 21, 2017]
> Benzene 100 times higher than legal baseline detected again in groundwater in Toyosu [May 19, 2017]